Defensive anyone? Kavanaugh sounds scared!

[Lek]

Yes, they will stick in people's minds. If you don't want things like this out there, then don't sexually assault women. It's that simple. Just don't do that.

The message for people... all people is that the things you say and do become a part of this world once you do them. Conduct your life responsibly and with the expectation that records of your actions are being noted. If you do something wrong to someone... if you offend them or hurt them, make that thing right rather than kicking and screaming on the defensive (and very much offensive) as Kavanaugh did.

The correct answer to this whole debacle was for Kavanaugh to have immediately placed a phone call to Dr. Ford to address this with her personally. He needed to apologize and explain to her that what he did (if he did it while he was blacked out), was clearly wrong and that he did not continue this behavior into his adulthood. He should have offered her his heartfelt support and have offered to try to help her heal in any way that he could.

He utterly disgraced himself with the temper tantrum he threw before the senate committee.

Ok. I get it. You believe Dr Ford and you don't believe Judge Kavanaugh and that's it.

---

The same can be said about Ford. Some believe her and others thinks she's lying for political gain. Some believe she is a criminal and this will follow her no matter what career path she takes. She stand to lose the same thing than Kavanaugh, her job and her reputation if she isn't widely believed. Even people who have placed legitimate and completly recognised allegation of sexual misconduct against them have seen their lives and careers destroyed. On the opposite end of the spectrum many people convicted of grave sexual offenses have managed to have succesful careers and lives afterward (Mike Tyson is pretty much an example of that).

In the end, when accusations are made some people will believe them and others won't. Public personnas who derive their power, prestige and money from their reputation are those most likely to lose from those accusations, but at the same time this reputation can allow them to victimise people more easily and in more impunity. he who lives by the sword dies by the sword; he who lives off his reputation dies by it.

You're assuming his guilt before he's been proven guilty.

---

This woman on MSNBC last night was talking about her background check to be a Federal Judge. She was asked about everyone she's ever lived with going all the way back, and every illegal drug she's ever used. She said that there was a sense from the questions they were asking that the probe contained disqualifying questions, and that the scope did include all history of indiscriminate behavior.

Kavanaugh clearly knew he drank too much in high school. He knew the reputation he carried among his friends. I'm sure he was aware of the book written by Mark Judge, and he had to know that it was "out there" that he had conducted himself like an out-of-control, wild young man. If he chose not to disclose that information during the background check, then not only did he lie by stating that these things didn't happen, but he also opened himself up for scrutiny. Make no mistake about that.

What are you talking about?  Most of the testimony from fellow students says that he was respectful and well behaved.

[brewer]

I'll say it again, if he doesn't back out on his own accord after this he's an idiot and shouldn't be voted in anyway.

[Aliza]

Yes, they will stick in people's minds. If you don't want things like this out there, then don't sexually assault women. It's that simple. Just don't do that.

The message for people... all people is that the things you say and do become a part of this world once you do them. Conduct your life responsibly and with the expectation that records of your actions are being noted. If you do something wrong to someone... if you offend them or hurt them, make that thing right rather than kicking and screaming on the defensive (and very much offensive) as Kavanaugh did.

The correct answer to this whole debacle was for Kavanaugh to have immediately placed a phone call to Dr. Ford to address this with her personally. He needed to apologize and explain to her that what he did (if he did it while he was blacked out), was clearly wrong and that he did not continue this behavior into his adulthood. He should have offered her his heartfelt support and have offered to try to help her heal in any way that he could.

He utterly disgraced himself with the temper tantrum he threw before the senate committee.

Ok.  I get it.  You believe Dr Ford and you don't believe Judge Kavanaugh and that's it.

---

The same can be said about Ford. Some believe her and others thinks she's lying for political gain. Some believe she is a criminal and this will follow her no matter what career path she takes. She stand to lose the same thing than Kavanaugh, her job and her reputation if she isn't widely believed. Even people who have placed legitimate and completly recognised allegation of sexual misconduct against them have seen their lives and careers destroyed. On the opposite end of the spectrum many people convicted of grave sexual offenses have managed to have succesful careers and lives afterward (Mike Tyson is pretty much an example of that).

In the end, when accusations are made some people will believe them and others won't. Public personnas who derive their power, prestige and money from their reputation are those most likely to lose from those accusations, but at the same time this reputation can allow them to victimise people more easily and in more impunity. he who lives by the sword dies by the sword; he who lives off his reputation dies by it.

You're assuming his guilt before he's been proven guilty.

---

This woman on MSNBC last night was talking about her background check to be a Federal Judge. She was asked about everyone she's ever lived with going all the way back, and every illegal drug she's ever used. She said that there was a sense from the questions they were asking that the probe contained disqualifying questions, and that the scope did include all history of indiscriminate behavior.

Kavanaugh clearly knew he drank too much in high school. He knew the reputation he carried among his friends. I'm sure he was aware of the book written by Mark Judge, and he had to know that it was "out there" that he had conducted himself like an out-of-control, wild young man. If he chose not to disclose that information during the background check, then not only did he lie by stating that these things didn't happen, but he also opened himself up for scrutiny. Make no mistake about that.

What are you talking about?  Most of the testimony from fellow students says that he was respectful and well behaved.

Whether he did it or not, he should have treated her like a victim and not a political tool like she's in cahoots with the Clintons or something. I believe she believes she was sexually assaulted. The appropriate response when such a credible accusation comes out is to address it with the victim.

I dunno. I try to do the decent thing whenever I can. If someone tells me that I did something wrong, my response is to try to fix it or to at least try to understand why the other person was hurt. Kavanaugh's reaction was to turn this around and make himself the victim. Being a good person doesn't come naturally to everyone. It's hard, it's counterintuitive sometimes, and it takes effort, but that's what's expected of the cream of the crop.

He's just not SCOTUS material. That's it.

[Whateverist]

Oh, look, another Republican Misognyist Piece of shit.  Color me surprised!

I'm none of these three things, but to you Republican is probably the worst.

Hey, Divinity, apparently you forgot to include "liar" on that list.

[Pat Mustard]

Just out of curiosity, do you want to live in a world where your daughter gets raped and her rapist continues to rape other women, and then the president of the United States makes light of the assault against her and gives her rapist the authority to decide the fate of other rapists?

Lek is the kind of person who'd sell his daughter to the rapist. The bible tells him to.

[Whateverist]

Says women have gone off the deep end.

Denies being misogynist.  

Self awareness and reflection is never the strong suit of the bigot, I suppose.

Reminds me of a meme I saw comparing Clinton's cool as a cucumber 11 hours of testimony with with WLB Jr's self-pity party, paranoid hysteria.

---

Lek is a bit 'special'.

Maybe he is just trolling us for the yuks.

[epronovost]

You're assuming his guilt before he's been proven guilty.

Where did I assume he was guilty? I simply mentionned that even if he was denied the promotion, it's very possible that his life and career would not be destroyed and it's also possible that even if Ford's claim are true, her life and career might be destroyed. I think you are assuming too much from that post.

At that rate, I might claim you are assuming Ford is a very cretinous criminal.

[Aliza]

You're assuming his guilt before he's been proven guilty.

Where did I assume he was guilty? I simply mentionned that even if he was denied the promotion, it's very possible that his life and career would not be destroyed and it's also possible that even if Ford's claim are true, her life and career might be destroyed. I think you are assuming too much from that post.

At that rate, I might claim you are assuming Ford is a very cretinous criminal.

I'm getting the impression that Lek is the pot that calls the kettle black.

[Mister Agenda]

These allegations are something that will stick in the minds of people for the rest of his life.  Some will believe them and some will not.  This will follow him no matter what path he takes in his career.  No.  I don't want to live in the world which you described, as well as the world which I described.  I want to live in a world in which justice is served for both men and women.

Justice can't be served if you can't make allegations.

---

You're assuming his guilt before he's been proven guilty.

He doesn't have to be proven guilty, it's a job interview, not a court of law. How he reacts to the accusation and the process speaks more to his qualification than the mere fact that someone accused him.

I frequently conduct job interviews, and I look for people who maintain their composure under stress and take responsibility for their actions. I don't hire people if nothing is ever their fault, only people who can acknowledge a mistake can learn from them. His speech (that he wrote himself) going on about his fond calendar memories of his father (sitting in the room) showing utter disrespect for the hiring process of our government (and the drinking age in Maryland) and offering up conspiracy theories about the people out to get him wouldn't cut it with me. I don't want someone like that in a position of responsibility. I'd be thankful that he showed me who he is during the interview, when every normal person is on their best behavior.

They can find another conservative judge that doesn't have this kind of baggage, the president has a list, I hear. It doesn't have to be this particular guy. If Trump had withdrawn his nomination last week, we could already be setting up hearings for someone else. Gorsuch didn't get this kind of grief, just try someone else.

[Cecelia]

If Merrick Garland can wait 400 days to have his life ruined for partisan politics and nothing more, I think Kavanaugh can wait a little longer for a full investigation into the claims. If anyone has a problem with it, they can bring it up with Mitch McConnell and ask why Garland -- who didn't allegedly sexually assault anyone -- didn't get a hearing.