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Media Contact: Curt Levey, clevey@committeeforjustice.org , (202) 510-0128
Kavanaugh Allegation: Democrat Contenders Look Foolish

Statement of Committee for Justice president Curt Levey on the New York Times's allegation against Justice Brett Kavanaugh:

Washington, D.C. -- The New York Times had egg on its face Sunday night when its sensational new sexual assault allegation against Justice Kavanaugh collapsed after the paper admitted that it forgot to mention that the victim "declined to be interviewed and friends say that she does not recall the incident." Equally covered in egg but unlikely to apologize are most of the leading Democratic contenders for president—Warren, Sanders, Harris, Castro, O'Rourke and Booker—who, based on the flimsy Times story, declared it clear that Kavanaugh lied to the Senate and called for his impeachment.

Their embarrassing overreach could have been avoided had they bothered to read the Times piece, which openly relied on hearsay provided by anonymous sources concerning a supposed witness who just happened to be an adversary of Kavanaugh during the Ken Starr investigation. Likewise if the would-be presidents had, like others, requested an advance copy of the book on which the story is based. The book reveals that the alleged victim has no memory of the incident.

However, in a primary race already notable for seemingly unbounded pandering to the base—think free heath care for illegal immigrants—it should surprise no one that the Democratic contenders reflexively jumped at an opportunity to bash President Trump's Supreme Court appointee, rather than demonstrating the thoughtful reflection and analysis one would want in a president.

While quick to attack Justice Kavanaugh, the Democratic contenders were silent regarding a related verbal attack on women that actually occurred. In a tweet about its Kavanaugh allegation, the Times said the alleged assault “may seem like harmless fun.” After getting an understandably negative reaction, the Times admitted its tweet was "offensive" and finally apologized after first trying to get away with "poorly phrased." But there was nary a comment from the impeachment-happy contenders, all of whom claim to be champions of the #MeToo movement.

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Letter to the Editor from Ashley Baker in The Boston Globe:

Although Joan Vennochi’s column "' Justice on Trial’ and the lessons of the Kavanaugh nomination'" gives a concedingly biased but otherwise evenhanded recommendation of the book, the review underplays the real-life impact of the grueling ordeal and misses some historical context.

For example, the description of Senator Lindsey Graham as an “over-the-top Kavanaugh shill” ignores 15 years of history. Graham’s righteous indignation over judicial confirmation politics dates back to the failed nomination of Miguel Estrada.

It’s also worth mentioning the huge impact the protesters had on the day-to-day life of the Kavanaugh family, who were arguably the biggest victims in this latest chapter of judicial confirmation mayhem. If “much of the book is like looking into a fun house mirror,” the reader must be severely out of touch with the millions of Americans who watched this spectacle.

But at the end, Vennochi hits the nail on the head: “Kavanaugh opponents aren’t giving up. Now House Democrats are asking the National Archives to release records relating to Kavanaugh’s time in George W. Bush’s White House. Sorry, that’s a lost cause. Read ‘Justice on Trial,’ and get ready for the next big battle.”

The unfortunate reality is that what we witnessed with the Brett Kavanaugh hearings may be just a trial run for the next confirmation fight.

Ashley Baker
Director of Public Policy
The Committee for Justice
Washington, D.C.

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