Show How You Feel, Kavanaugh Was Told, and a Nomination Was Saved

New York Times ^ | October 6, 2018 | Peter Baker and Nicholas Fandos

[reaganaut1]

WASHINGTON — Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh sat in the anteroom of Room 216 in the Hart Senate Office Building, a sterile, living-room-like space with a couch and a couple of armchairs and a large television on the wall. His chances of joining the Supreme Court seemed to be vanishing. “Disaster,” read the text message from one Republican.

Christine Blasey Ford had just finished testifying that he had tried to force himself on her as a teenager, and nearly everyone in both camps found her credible, sincere and sympathetic. President Trump called Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, and they agreed she was impressive. “We’re only at halftime,” Mr. McConnell said, trying to be reassuring.

Mr. Trump thought it was time to bring in the F.B.I. to investigate, as many opponents of Judge Kavanaugh had urged, but when he called the Hart Building, Donald F. McGahn II, his White House counsel, refused to take the call. Instead, Mr. McGahn cleared the room and sat down with Judge Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley Kavanaugh. The only way to save his nomination, Mr. McGahn said, was to show the senators how he really felt, to channel his outrage and indignation at the charges he had denied.

Judge Kavanaugh did not need convincing. He was brimming with rage and resentment, so when he went before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he did not hold back. His fire-and-fury performance — “you have replaced ‘advice and consent’ with search and destroy” — suddenly turned the tables. While Democrats thought he went too far, demoralized Republicans were emboldened again. In their war room, White House aides watching on television cheered and pumped their fists.

[Rock N Jones]

My goodness they never quit. Chrissy was believable? Really? With all her inconsistencies ? Are they nuts? Chrissys own named witnesses didn’t believe her story.

[GeaugaRepublican]

The story does not seem as bad as it could have been coming from reporters who are DNC shills.

Michael S. Schmidt
Maggie Haberman
Jim Rutenberg

Michael S. Schmidt- https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4705208/nyt-correspondent-michael-schmidt-admits-virulent-anti-trump-bias

I look them up in Wikileaks, too.

[gcparent]

Ford is a Fraud. What more can I say. Collins said it better than anyone else could. Took a woman senator to say it. She has guts!

[Palio di Siena]

Did she fly home?

[caww]

....”the most striking specimen of ‘vocal fry’....to manipulate.”.....

Is exactly right. Ford wasn't very good at it because it was so obvious her intentions were to manipulate. I believe she is accustomed to manipulating every day.

Also the women protesting in Washington were likewise.....in other words they were screaming "since I've been sexually assaulted in my life Kavanaugh is to blame."

[caww]

Notice that they ONLY say ‘woman need to be heard’.....none of those add ‘and their attacker prosecuted if proven guilty”...........

[Steven W.]

This is totally FAKE NEWS - Justice K had already submitted his testimony the day BEFORE.

[jacknyc]

Really good Fiction writers like Daniel Silva can’t weave a fantastic story with a ounce of truth. The NYTimes use to be careful about stretching facts, not anymore, they’ve became pure tabloid trash. I doubt anyone in the WH ignores the Presidents phone call. I see stacks of The NY Times all over NYC, don’t know why they keep printing the daily rag...

[USS Alaska]

Donald F. McGahn II, his White House counsel, refused to take the call [from his boss, President Trump].

Does anyone think McGahn, has balls this big? Refused to take the call? From the Donald?

Didn't he see himself being dropped from Air Force One at 39,000 feet?

[Elsie]

Ah; the good ol’ “We’re down 24 to 3 at the half. What are you going to do about it; boys??”

[Elsie]

President Trump called Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, and they agreed she was impressive.

Nope.
I don't know.
I can't remember.
I've no idea.

[japaneseghost]

Bump

[Elsie]

https://www.google.com/search?q=spy+cam&ie=&oe=

[Kenny Bania]

That’s standard practice in journalism. Address the person with their title in the beginning (which they did) and then use Mr. or Mrs. (or whatever) from then on. They did it with Obama too. Saves ink.

[Trumpisourlastchance]

I didn’t find her credible.

[Eleutheria5]

Easy. They make it up.

[redpoll]

>>>they agreed she was impressive<<<

This is not a compliment or confirmation of her message. She was impressive in her ability to fool many, and use a number of speech and presentation tricks to pull off her fraud.

In the same way, if someone makes me some food that’s really awful, but they are seeking a compliment, I’ll tell them that the flavor is “interesting.” Which is a truth, but not the subtext beneath it. Trump is a master at this kind of disguised contempt.

[BradyLS]

Judge Kavanaugh did not need convincing. He was brimming with rage and resentment, so when he went before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he did not hold back. His fire-and-fury performance — “you have replaced ‘advice and consent’ with search and destroy” — suddenly turned the tables.

So funny! Even in trying to explain why an honest man would want to push back against the smears he was being tarred with, the Times has to use their D-Party donkey-whistle words like "rage," "resentment," and "fire-and-fury" to reassure their readership that the Times still hates Kavanaugh.

[BradyLS]

I can’t fly, but I fly everywhere..on and on her lies.

Oh my goodness! She was telling us she…had a fear of flying

Nudge, nudge! Wink, wink! Ring, ring! Say no more, say no more!

[montag813]

Kinda makes you think that McGahn may be one of the leakers in the White House. How else does a story like this get out?

Or they just lied. The WaPo claimed BEFORE Kavanaugh's appearance that Trump called HIM and urged him to "fight back hard"