by Lil Tuttle
As a women’s organization, we frequently encounter the very best among women, so we’re preconditioned to listen when a member of our sex makes an assertion. Over the past several days, we have listened closely to the assertions of Dr. Christine Ford. We find them completely incredible. We believe Judge Brett Kavanaugh instead.
Here’s why:
- In a July 30 letter that she voluntarily initiated to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Dr. Ford alleges she was assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh 36 years ago during a teenage house party, but she can’t remember where or when it occurred. (Presumably the letter is from Dr. Ford, although the signature/name on the letter has been REDACTED.)
- Dr. Ford’s assertion has been denied by the very people whom Dr. Ford identified as having first-hand knowledge of the incident:
- Brett Kavanaugh: he has categorically denied her assertion.
- Mark Judge: he has denied her assertion to the Judiciary Committee.
- Ms. Leland Keyser: a lifetime friend of Ford’s, a PGA golfer, and the former wife of Democratic strategist Bob Beckel, Ms. Keyser also denied the assertion in the following public statement made by her attorney: “Simply put, Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, or without, Dr. Ford.”
- After Dr. Ford’s letter finally became public knowledge in September, Dr. Ford was invited to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee to present her statement formally and under oath. She continues to find excuses to not appear, despite the committee’s generous efforts to accommodate her.
A second woman, progressive activist Deborah Ramirez, recently suggested via a New Yorker story that she may have “recovered a memory of sexual assault only after being prodded by Senate Democrats to do so,” writes Mollie Hemingway at theFederalist.com, adding,
The New York Times — which doesn’t have a sterling track record when it comes to running with wild accusations — interviewed dozens of people in an attempt to corroborate the allegation and was not able to do so.
So we have two women in a nation of 327 million people making unsubstantiated assertions disparaging Brett Kavanaugh’s character. Contrast their statements with the experiences of two women law clerks who served in Judge Kavanaugh’s office:
Finally, consider the formal statement to the Judiciary Committee signed by 65 women who have known Kavanaugh since high school:
We are women who have known Brett Kavanaugh for more than 35 years and knew him while he attended high school between 1979 and 1983. For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect. We strongly believe it is important to convey this information to the Committee at this time. …
The signers of this letter hold a broad range of political views. Many of us are not lawyers, but we know Brett Kavanaugh as a person. And he has always been a good person.
The latest news today is that Dr. Ford is once again finding reasons not to appear as scheduled Thursday to give her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
We think that is as it should be. Dr. Ford clearly doesn’t believe her own assertions any more than we do.
There should be no more delays. The Senate Judiciary Committee should move forward on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination and bring it to the full Senate for a vote immediately. We believe he is exceptionally well-qualified for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Update: Congratulations to Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.