https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/16/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford-sexual-assault.html?action=click&module=RelatedCoverage&pgtype=Article®ion=Footer
Brett Kavanaugh has been circulating in the news throughout the last few months after President Trump nominated him to fill Justice Kennedy's spot in the Supreme Court after his retirement in July. However, in a recent interview with the Washington Post, a pyschology professor in Palo Alto named Christine Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. Naturally, this accusation came with much controversy, as Republican defenders of Kavanaugh criticize Ford's timing in an attempt to invalidate her claims, while many Democrats stand by her and the courage it requires to make this information public. However, while the Ford's accusation against Kavanaugh was only recently announced, California Senator Dianne Feinstein was aware of the information for weeks before this, and only now submitted the information into evidence.
The revelation of this information has placed the senate hearing for Kavanaugh's Supreme Court approval on hold, and a hearing will instead be held to assess the validity of the accusations made against him. Ford's accusations against Kavanaugh mirror those of Anita Hill against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991, where Hill's allegations against Justice Thomas were invalidated and he was appointed to the Court.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why wouldn't Feinstein publish the information regarding Ford's sexual assault accusations when she first found out about it? How do you believe this is/was perceived by other Senators?
2. Do you believe that the allegations against Kavanaugh will threaten his seat on the Supreme Court, or will the public simply forgive and forget similar to the numerous accusations made against President Trump?
3. How will strong party affiliation/loyalty impact this case? Will Republican senators stand by him in order to guarantee a more conservative judiciary?
Feinstein did the right thing by respecting the wishes of Ford, because Ford was not comfortable openly discussing this information beforehand. The implication of other sources is that the letter wasn't publicized beforehand because Ford hoped that the Kavanaugh hearings would never progress this far and she could retain her privacy and dignity from the mountain of attacks she correctly anticipated would be heaped upon her. I do think that there is a chance that Kavanaugh is not confirmed to the court because of this, however the reason why would not be out of any moral considerations, but of political ones so close to a midterm election. Conservative legislators may stand with him not for a conservative court, which can be achieved with any other candidate, but instead may stand with him to motivate their base by not succumbing to what their constituents may see as liberal pressures.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason Feinstein didn't immediately publish the information is because she wanted it to be more of a last resort option, in order to spare the victim of public scrutiny. However, I think with the recent empowerment and support of victims of sexual assault, it would be very difficult for Kavanaugh to live this down. As a Supreme Court justice, you must hold a high level of moral integrity, and this says a lot about his character. Regardless of how long ago this was, he should be held accountable for his actions, and not be given the privilege of such an appointment when he has injured someone else in this way. I think if Republicans continue to support him along party lines, it will call into question their morals when it comes to sexual assault. I definitely think this allegation is threatening the possibility of Kavanaugh's appointment, and rightfully so. I personally don't want a man accused of these things to yield the power of a Supreme Court justice.
ReplyDeleteI believe that majority of the public will not forgive him, especially with the MeToo movement about women abused. We want to trust the people in the Supreme Court even though we don't agree the same beliefs. Providing a rapist a seat proves no matter the accusations against someone, if they have the power, they can't be touched and do as they pleased.
ReplyDeleteThat is Laurel Bolts
ReplyDeleteThat is Laurel Bolts
ReplyDeleteI believe that Feinstein decided not to publish the information immediately when she found out because she wanted to protect and respect the victim. This is very considerate, since accusing a Supreme Court justice nominee of sexual assault does not come without attention and further questions regarding the occurrence. This can be a very hard situation for the victim, especially if so much time has gone by, and they may have tried to repress the memory for a long time. Therefore, I find it very admirable that Feinstein would set aside her own political agenda and beliefs to respect Ford's wishes. However, now that the information has been released, I think that Kavanaugh will experience great repercussions that could possibly jeopardize his nomination. With the recent support of victims of sexual assault, I think it will be hard for Kavanaugh to gain much support from the public. Since he failed to take responsibility for his actions during the past, many fear how he could abuse his power in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think that party loyalty will play a huge role in the outcome of these hearings. Going along with much of the political climate in today's day and age, Republicans will most likely support him just for the fact that he holds their same title. Even through this accusation, Kavanaugh will have strong support from other republicans because his nomination would lead to more power in the supreme court. Unfortunately, Kavanaugh will be voted in on his party title rather than his actual capabilities or whether he is truly suited to be a justice on the Supreme Court.
ReplyDeleteAlthough party loyalty will play a large role in whether or not Kavanaugh will get a position on the Supreme Court, there only needs to be a few Republicans who believe that these accusations against Kavanaugh are significant enough to bring into question his eligibility to become a Supreme Court justice. Given the current political climate, it is also fairly unlikely that the public will "forgive and forget" these accusations against Kavanaugh. Movements such as MeToo and Time's Up reflect the public's mindset that sexually abusive behavior, especially from those in power, is not acceptable and these people need to be held accountable.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the allegations against Kavanaugh will threaten his seat in Supreme Court especially with the Me Too Movement sparking in the past year. Party affiliation will largely affect this case, and could result in even more polarization. I believe that the majority of the Republican Party will stand by Kavanaugh due to their loyalties to their party, and Trump's decisions. However, I question whether or not Trump will nominate a different person for a chair in Supreme Court because this case raises a lot of debate between the two parties. I do not think that Trump will nominate someone else because he tends to stand by his beliefs and decisions strongly. The democrats will not let these accusations just pass, however, because sexual assault has increasingly become an issue of focus.
ReplyDeleteI think that Diane Feinstein waited to publish the information because she only wanted to use this information if completely necessary, as the victim would probably come into focus of the public, which ended up happening. While I hope that the accusations will hinder Kavanaugh's appointment as a Supreme Court justice, I don't think they will. Republicans have notably supported others within the party regardless of their character (Donald Trump, Roy Moore, etc.).
ReplyDeleteI believe the allegations against Kavanaugh won't threaten his seat on the Supreme Court because of two reasons. One, the Republican party has supported individuals regardless of what they've done or said in the past, for example our president. Two, this incident happened too long ago for it to matter significantly. I think the Republican party will stand by him because of my first reason above.
ReplyDeleteI think that Diane Feinstein waited to publish this information to respect the privacy of Ms. Ford. I don't think that it is her right to disclose private information without the consent of Ms. Ford so it makes sense that she waited for Ms. Ford to come out publicly. In regards to the second question, I'm not sure this will affect Kavanaugh that much because it is such an old case. Even if it is proven, I don't know that those who will be voting will take this into consideration; time and maturity changes people, and there may be more important things to consider about a possible Supreme Court judge.
ReplyDeleteAs stated before, I agree that Feinstein waited to publish information in respect of the privacy of Ford. As Richard said, it really doesn't make sense for her to put out this information until Ford was ready to come out and state it herself. As for whether he gets the position or not, I believe that it is very dependent oh his party loyalty. Most likely the Republican support along with this occurrence happening so long ago will allow him to keep his seat on the Supreme Court.
ReplyDeleteAs many said previously, Feinstein definitely did not disclose the information in order to respect Ford's privacy. It would be extremely disrespectful if Feinstein disclosed the information to the public without Ford's consent. I believe that the Republican party will continue to support him despite this incident because of similar sexual assault accusations made towards president Trump. As a white, privileged male he will face little to no punishment for this actions in comparison to someone of color. It is very sad that our society continues to and will most likely protect and support someone with those characteristics even if they sexually harass or assault someone (ex: Brock Turner and many many others).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Isabelle that party loyalty will significantly impact this case. With the midterms coming up, there is a certain time pressure for Republicans to push for Kavanaugh's confirmation - if the Democrats take the Senate, it's less likely that any conservative judge will replace Justice Kennedy. So while it is true that there are many other qualified conservative judges, and it is possible that they could be nominated, given the closeness to the midterms, Republicans may turn a blind eye to these accusations and confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
ReplyDeleteUnless Kavenaugh can be prosecuted for a crime, I find it unlikely that any accusation against him will effect his chances at the Supreme Court position. I do however believe that the countless accusations against Republican officeholders will have a lasting impact on the GOP for years to come. Most Republican senators will continue to support him through the allegations in the name of securing a conservative judge on the court.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with your assessment that the allegations against Kavanaugh will have little impact on his confirmation hearings, unfortunately, I disagree that the unwavering support of Republican congressmen will hurt the party in the future. Polls have consistently found that a profound majority of Republicans do not find the sexual assault allegations credible. Republican politicians are not acting any different than their constituents would have them act, and thus, it is unlikely that the party will be impacted negatively this this November due to their blind support Kavanaugh
DeleteI believe that Feinstein waited this long to disclose this information out of respect for the privacy of Ford. Feinstein wanted Ford's permission in order to come out publicly with the accusation, and they wanted to make sure it was what Ford wanted to do. Furthermore, I think that it is unlikely that the accusation against him will affect his chances at the Supreme Court, with many factors that are still pushing him towards earning that seat in the future.
ReplyDelete