Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Are Republicans Releasing Anonymous Kavanaugh Claims to Discredit Legitimate Ones? (They're serious)
New York Magazine ^ | September 26, 2018 | Adam K. Raymond

Posted on 09/26/2018 9:35:08 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

With Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford hours away from testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a bombshell dropped Wednesday afternoon. The committee released the transcript of a call between GOP staffers and the Supreme Court nominee that included two new allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. The dam, it appeared, had broken.

But the claims quickly drew skepticism, largely because they’re anonymous, unlike the first three allegations made against Kavanaugh, in which Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and Julie Swetnick went on the record to tell their stories of Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual misconduct.

One of the new claims came in the form of an anonymous letter sent to the office of Colorado Senator Cory Gardner. It said that in 1998 Kavanaugh assaulted a woman he was dating in Boulder while he was working for Ken Starr’s investigation into Bill Clinton. “It’s ridiculous. Total Twilight Zone. And no, I’ve never done anything like that,” Kavanaugh told staffers when he was asked about the story.

The other allegation arose from a phone call made to the office of Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. The man making the call said a friend of his was sexually assaulted on a boat in 1985 by “men she referred to at the time as Brett and Mark.” After seeing a picture of a high school-aged Kavanaugh on TV, the man said he realized he was looking at the same Brett from 33 years ago.

“No,” Kavanaugh said when asked about this story, which also implicated his childhood friend Mark Judge. “I was not in Newport, haven’t been on a boat in Newport. Not with Mark Judge on a boat, nor all those three things combined.”

So why would GOP staffers bring up these two flimsy allegations about Kavanaugh? One theory is that they’re trying to muddy the waters and discredit all of accusations against him.

Republicans on the Judiciary Committee said themselves that the letter from the person in Colorado was useless. “We have no reason to assign the letter credibility, and even if we did, we’d have no way to investigate the allegation as it was made anonymously and cannot be corroborated,” they said. So why question Kavanaugh about it at all?

Then there was the odd choice to ask Kavanaugh about several tweets from the man who called Whitehouse’s office. One of the tweets called for President Trump to be overthrown. Another asked the Pentagon to “save my country from the parasite that occupies the White House.” The staffers asked Kavanaugh if he was aware of these tweets. He said he wasn’t, of course.

The decision to ask Kavanaugh about the tweets seems like it was less about his answer than about the eventual publishing of the transcript. GOP staffers knew Kavanaugh wasn’t aware of the tweets, but they wanted to make public an accusation of sexual misconduct that came from a Trump hater with an egg avatar. On Wednesday night, the man recanted his story in another tweet.

If Republicans are in fact trying to discredit all accusers, there are early signs that it’s working. Breitbart is blaring bright red headlines about a “flood of anonymous discredited accusations,” while The Federalist is highlighting the off-the-wall tweets of the man in Rhode Island.

Democrats, for their part, seem to be seeing through this gambit. One senior Democratic aide told Politico reporter Elana Schor that Republicans are “releasing anonymous allegations in an effort to make all allegations look frivolous. We’re focusing on the ones that have names attached.”


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: abortion; adamkraymond; brettkavanaugh; california; calstatefullerton; christineblaseyford; colorado; corygardner; deborahramirez; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; elanaschor; florida; janemayer; julieswetnick; kavanaugh; lyinglimolib; maga; markjudge; mediawingofthednc; michaelavenatti; michaelcohen; newport; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkmagazine; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; partisanmediashills; politico; presstitutes; republicans; rhodeisland; richardvinneccy; ronanfarrow; scotus; sheldonwhitehouse; smearmachine; stephanieclifford; stormydaniels; thenewyorker
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last
To: Parley Baer

They are admitting “it’s crazy”!


21 posted on 09/26/2018 10:58:24 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I love Bull Markets!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Do_Tar

That’s plausible.


22 posted on 09/26/2018 11:02:41 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Who is Adam to say which assault claims are to be believed. Leftists tell us all are to be believed. Adam needs to check his male privilege.
23 posted on 09/26/2018 11:07:03 PM PDT by BookmanTheJanitor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ronin

“I have no problem fighting fire with fire, but the GOP is too stupid to come up with a tactic like this.”

Way too stoopid. They wouldn’t even need to come up with a tactic like that if they had just held the fargin vote a week ago.


24 posted on 09/26/2018 11:09:35 PM PDT by Electric Graffiti (Jeff Sessions IS the insurance policy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: fluorescence; Parley Baer; blueplum; 2ndDivisionVet; fuente; SmokingJoe; familyop; BunnySlippers; ..

This SCOTUS nominee must be “wanted” in 13 states by now...


25 posted on 09/26/2018 11:11:35 PM PDT by 4Liberty (Where are the Obama-Creamer audio tapes?/GM bondholders: America's SAfrica White farmers...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
(They're serious)

Desperate, but not serious.

26 posted on 09/26/2018 11:17:15 PM PDT by TChad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

In a word, no.

Vanity: Sen. Kampala Harris with Anither Anonymous Accuser
Vanity - Twitter
Posted on 09/26/2018 9:50:04 PM PDT by TigerClaws
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3691105/posts


27 posted on 09/26/2018 11:27:19 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwPquLmcZFo

Mitch McConnell: Left Will Not Hesitate To Weaponize Uncorroborated Allegations 9/26/18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoplfrVLBJo

Mitch McConnell SLAMS Orchestrated Smear Campaign Against Kavanaugh 9/24/18


28 posted on 09/26/2018 11:37:17 PM PDT by Taxocrats Tax Everything (Fake News Detector!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

New York Magazine vs. The New Yorker...different publications.


29 posted on 09/27/2018 12:11:45 AM PDT by Roccus (When you talk to a politician...ANY politician...always say, "Remember Ceausescu")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Roccus
Aaaah. I stand corrected.
30 posted on 09/27/2018 12:22:56 AM PDT by SmokingJoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

You don’t hafta...you can take it sittin’ down.

G’nite now.


31 posted on 09/27/2018 12:31:47 AM PDT by Roccus (When you talk to a politician...ANY politician...always say, "Remember Ceausescu")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I am unaware of any legitimate claims.


32 posted on 09/27/2018 2:24:13 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Molon Labe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Wouldn’t be surprised if , in the end, Dems blame the GOP for Ford.


33 posted on 09/27/2018 3:03:00 AM PDT by randita (PLEASE STOP ALL THE WORTHLESS VANITIES!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

no need to use anonymous allegations to make all allegations look frivolous. They are frivolous


34 posted on 09/27/2018 3:07:02 AM PDT by confederatecarpetbag
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Does the left have a "Q" as well?

Worse - they have Feinstein/Schumer/Biden/Pelosi/Flake/Colins/Murkowski/Blumenthal.....

35 posted on 09/27/2018 3:35:12 AM PDT by trebb (So many "experts" with so little experience in what they preach....even here...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson