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Reports: Kavanaugh Has Found 1982 Calendar, Detailed Entries Help Clear His Name
By Benjamin Arie
The last-minute attempt to derail Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation as the next Supreme Court justice has just hit a serious snag.
Facing damaging but almost completely unsubstantiated claims that he acted improperly with a girl back when he was a teenager, the conservative nominee has dug into his personal archives to defend himself.
Up until now, the vague accusations made by Christine Blasey Ford had only resulted in a “he said, she said” stalemate. Liberals insisted that Blasey Ford’s story of a bad encounter at a drunken party be believed, while conservatives have pointed out that the nearly 40-year-old claim is impossible to verify.
Finally, Kavanaugh has presented tangible evidence that the accusation doesn’t hold up.
On Sunday, The New York Times reported that the judge has found old calendars from the period when the unproven groping allegedly took place — and they appear to support his claim that the incident didn’t happen.
“Kavanaugh has calendars from the summer of 1982 that he plans to hand over to the Senate Judiciary Committee that do not show a party consistent with the description of his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford,” explained The Times.
“The calendar pages from June, July and August 1982, which were examined by The New York Times, show that Judge Kavanaugh was out of town much of the summer at the beach or away with his parents,” the newspaper continued.
“When he was at home, the calendars list his basketball games, movie outings, football workouts and college interviews. A few parties are mentioned but include names of friends other than those identified by Dr. Blasey.”
Here is perhaps the biggest nail in the coffin for Blasey Ford’s already-flimsy story: There is no record on Kavanaugh’s old calendars of the people that Blasey Ford has said were at the party where the unproven incident took place.
Other friends he attended events and parties with are listed, however, which helps show that the studious young Kavanaugh was fairly thorough about recording his social schedule at the time.
That fact is yet another point in favor of Kavanaugh and against his accuser. The woman behind the claim has admitted that she can recall almost nothing specific about the incident, including its location, time, or other people involved.
The few names brought up by Blasey Ford have refuted her story and indicated that they don’t remember a party with both her and Kavanaugh.
“Mr. (Mike) Judge has told the Judiciary Committee that he remembered no such incident and had never seen Judge Kavanaugh behave in such a way,” explained The Times, referring to one alleged witness of the drunken party.
“The only other two people identified as being in the house at the time, but not the bedroom, have also said in recent days that they did not recall the incident. Patrick J. Smyth said he did not remember such a party or see any improper conduct by Judge Kavanaugh.”
“Leland Keyser, a former classmate of Dr. Blasey’s at Holton-Arms, said she did not know Judge Kavanugh or remember being at a party with him,” stated the newspaper.
Accusations of this type are of course serious, and conducting due diligence is part of the vetting process for anyone nominated for a powerful position.
There comes a point, however, when weak and impossible to prove allegations need to be put to rest. Blasey Ford may genuinely believe that something like the incident she described did happen; she may be telling the truth about a teenage trauma affecting her for decades, too.
The problem is that there is zero evidence it was Brett Kavanaugh who did what she claims, and no way short of a time machine to prove her accusations.
By all accounts, Kavanaugh has been a responsible and thoughtful family man and legal scholar for the entirety of his adult life — and that record needs to stand far above one person’s increasingly shaky claim.
Kavanaugh Accuser’s Lawyer Exposes Client’s Achilles’ Heel
California psychologist has an issue with certain key details as negotiations with the Senate Judiciary Committee continue
Christine Blasey Ford’s attorney, Debra Katz (shown above left; Ford is at far right), just handed her what looks like an insurmountable credibility problem.
Ford claims Judge Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both were high schoolers at a suburban Maryland party. She cannot recall the place or date, however, and appears to remember other key details, such as who was present, incorrectly.
Kavanaugh described Ford’s claim as a “completely and totally false allegation,” and insisted that he has “never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone.”
“Most Americans, for example, recall vividly where they were and what they were doing the moment they first learned of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.”
Ford’s credibility problem was highlighted Saturday when The Washington Post reported that she said Leland Keyser, a lifelong friend, was present at the party.
Howard Walsh, Keyser’s attorney, responded, “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.”
Keyser, according to Walsh, believes Ford’s allegations against Kavanaugh.
But then Debra Katz, a Ford attorney, responded to Walsh: “It’s not surprising that Ms. Keyser has no recollection of the evening, as they did not discuss it. It’s also unremarkable that Ms. Keyser does not remember attending a specific gathering 30 years ago at which nothing of consequence happened to her. Dr. Ford, of course, will never forget this gathering because of what happened to her there.” (emphasis added)
In other words, Ford expects to be believed without question because 36 years ago she suffered what for any woman would be a devastating experience she “will never forget” — but she demands to be excused for not recalling key facts about the unforgettable.
This contradiction is a huge problem for Ford because of the nature of human memory. Certain events make indelible imprints that stay with a person for a lifetime as if they happened just yesterday. Most Americans, for example, recall vividly where they were and what they were doing the moment they first learned of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Similarly, baby boomers typically recall exactly where they were and what they were doing the moment they heard of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, while members of the World War II generation never forget details of when they learned of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
For the individuals who were present during those horrific events, details of time and place and pain remain with them for a lifetime.
Keyser is the third individual to contradict Ford’s claim they were present at the party where the alleged sexual assault occurred.
Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge strenuously denied Ford’s accusations, insisting that her allegations were “just absolutely nuts. I never saw Brett act that way.”
Judge added that he has “no memory of this alleged incident.”
Patrick J. Smyth also contradicted Ford, issuing a statement: “I have known Brett Kavanaugh since high school and I know him to be a person of great integrity, a great friend, and I have never witnessed any improper conduct by Brett Kavanaugh toward women.”
As things presently stand in the protracted negotiations between Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ford regarding her testimony before the panel, she could appear Thursday.
But details are still being worked out and, given the events of the past week, there is no guarantee Ford will actually take the oath and submit to what are certain to be intensely probing questions about her credibility.
In a related development, former Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Bromwich has been added to Ford’s legal team. Bromwich joins long-time Democratic attack strategist Ricki Seidman, advising Ford.
Seidman is an expert on mounting character attacks on Republican Supreme Court nominees, having previously worked as an investigator for Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), who led the assault on Robert Bork.
That assault on President Ronald Reagan’s choice was so vicious that it spawned the term “Borking,” for when opponents of an individual launch multiple false allegations against his or her character and conduct.
Seidman was also involved in the Borking of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas when then-President George H.W. Bush nominated him in 1991. Thomas called the Democrats’ lurid allegations against him a “high-tech lynching.”
Mark Tapscott manages LifeZette's political coverage. He is an elected member of the First Amendment Center's Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame, has testified before Congress on transparency in government, and is a former CPAC Conservative Journalist of the Year. Reach him at mark.tapscott@lifezette.com.
Kavanaugh’s accuser just suffered a major blow
Democrats are desperate to take down Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Christine Blasey Ford is scheduled to testify under oath on Thursday.
But Ford’s smear campaign suffered a major defeat when this story broke.
Professor Christine Ford has accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of attempted sexual assault while they both were in high school in the early 1980s.
But with a showdown looming in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ford’s story is beginning to fall apart.
The Washington Times reports:
Three people whom Christine Blasey Ford has identified as witnesses at the high school party where she said the incident happened deny knowing anything about it.
This weekend, the attorney for Leland Keyser, named by Ms. Blasey Ford as a friend who could verify parts of her accusation, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that she has no recollection of the party and doesn’t know Judge Kavanaugh.
….
[Ms. Keyser] said she “does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, or without, Dr. Ford.”
Keyser is a longtime friend of Ford.
She’s also a longtime Democrat, ex-wife of Bob Beckel and executive producer of Beckel’s podcast.
If Ford finds herself testifying under oath on Thursday, you can be sure the fact that no witnesses she’s identified to have corroborated her story will come up.
But that remains a big “IF.”
Democrats have so far successfully delayed Kavanaugh’s confirmation through Ford’s allegations.
Many believe it was just a coordinated delay tactic for new allegations to surface, including from Stormy Daniels’ sleazy attorney, Michael Avenatti, who’s making shocking allegations on Twitter about Judge Kavanaugh.
Is this all a desperate smear campaign to force Judge Kavanaugh to withdraw his nomination? Sure sounds like it.
Lindsey Graham: A 'bureaucratic coup' against Trump being uncovered
by Caitlin Yilek
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., alleged Sunday that there is a “bureaucratic coup” being uncovered following reporting last week that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein discussed trying to oust President Trump.
The New York Times reported Friday that Rosenstein considered rallying Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and offered to wear a wire to record his conversations with the president.
Rosenstein has denied he considered such actions and follow-up reports have indicated that he was being sarcastic when bringing up the secret recording.
Graham told “Fox News Sunday” that Trump should not fire the top Justice Department official unless he believes Rosenstein is lying.
“He said he did not do the things alleged, but there is a bureaucratic coup against President Trump being discovered here,” Graham said. “Before the election, the people in question tried to taint the election, tip it to [Hillary] Clinton’s favor. After the election, they’re trying to undermine the president.”
Graham cited former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, former FBI agent Peter Stzrok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page’s actions as evidence of government officials trying to undermine Trump.
“They tried to destroy this president,” he said. “If Rosenstein is involved, he should be fired. If he is not involved, leave him alone … There's a bureaucratic coup going on at the department of justice and the FBI and somebody needs to look at it.”
Medical Malpractice Deaths over 500 Times Higher than Accidental Gun Deaths
Medical malpractice deaths in the U.S. are over 500 times higher than accidental gun deaths.
A Johns Hopkins University study covering eight years of data found there are at least 250,000 malpractice deaths in the U.S. annually.
CNBC reports the Johns Hopkins University study presents malpractice deaths on the low end, since other studies show malpractice deaths exceeding 400,000 a year.
On the other hand, accidental gun deaths hover around 500 a year.
For example, the Los Angeles Times reports there were 489 accidental gun deaths in 2015, making medical malpractice deaths over 500 times higher than deaths resulting from accidental firearm discharges.
The number of overall gun deaths in 2015—accidental, homicides, and suicides—was approximately 36,000, two-thirds of which were suicides. So 250,000 malpractice deaths is nearly seven times higher than gun deaths, even when counting intentional gun deaths.
In 2014, gun control groups were seizing on firearm-related child deaths as a way to push gun control. But Breitbart News reported that more children were accidentally killed via fire and water than were killed by firearms.
Gun scholar John Lott used Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tables to show that 36 children under the age of ten were killed in firearm-related accidents in 2010, while the number of children under the age of ten killed in “unintentional fire/burn deaths” was 262, and the number killed in “unintentional drowning” incidents was 609. This means the number children unintentionally killed in fire-related deaths was over seven times higher than the number of children killed in unintentional gun-related deaths, and the number of children killed in unintentional drowning deaths was sixteen times higher than the number of children killed in unintentional gun-related deaths.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
Vatican, Chinese Communist Party Make Deal on Bishop Appointments
BY JACK PHILLIPS
The Vatican signed an agreement with Beijing on Sept. 22 that would allow the Chinese authorities to appoint China’s bishops, in a move that critics say is capitulating to the Chinese regime.
The Catholic Church in China, which is sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said on Sept. 23 it would “persevere to walk a path suited to a socialist society, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party,” in a statement released on its website.
The Vatican and CCP broke off relations in 1951. The CCP has since insisted on nominating its own bishops, despite Vatican tradition that mandates bishops can only be approved with the consent of the Pope.
Pope Francis has now endorsed the legitimacy of these Beijing-appointed bishops.
“Pope Francis hopes that, with these decisions, a new process may begin that will allow the wounds of the past to be overcome, leading to the full communion of all Chinese Catholics,” the Vatican said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. The Vatican, meanwhile, stated that the move was “not political but pastoral.”
Longtime CCP critic Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, as well as other Chinese Catholics, has expressed opposition to the Vatican’s recent rapprochement with China.
Zen said that he believed that the Vatican and the CCP are making a “secret deal.”
“They’re giving the flock into the mouths of the wolves,” he said of the Vatican’s move to effectively pledge allegiance to the Communist Party, according to VOA News. “It’s an incredible betrayal,” he said.
Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, a top negotiator in China, “should resign” over the move, Zen said. “I don’t think he has faith. He is just a good diplomat in a very secular, mundane meaning,” he added.
China has about 12 million Catholic adherents, who are split between underground churches that swear allegiance to the Vatican and state-backed Catholic Patriotic Association churches.
Human rights groups have documented systematic persecution of underground Christians in China. According to Human Rights Watch, more than a dozen Christians in Yunnan Province were charged by CCP officials in 2017 with “using cults to sabotage law enforcement.” It added: “In October, at least three of the charged were given prison sentences of four years. One of their lawyers said the arrests were due to the group not gathering at officially designated churches.”
CCP-Vatican Deal Is Non-Specific
Zen, in a blog post on Sept. 22, criticized the Vatican-CCP deal. The announcement over the weekend could be boiled down to a few words, he wrote: “The Holy See has signed an Agreement with the People’s Republic of China on the appointment of Bishops.”
“To say that the agreement is provisional without specifying the duration of its validity is saying nothing,” Zen wrote in English. “All agreements may be said to be provisional, because one of the two parties may, for any reason, demand a revision or even annulment of the Agreement. But until that happens, the agreement, though provisional, remains the valid agreement.”
The deal, he said, is likely tantamount to the CCP telling Catholics “obey to [sic] us” because “we are in agreement with your Pope!”
G’ day…Ciao…
Helen and Moe Lauzier |
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