The WaPo: “It is unheard of for a Supreme Court nominee to give interviews during the confirmation process.”

This is of course in regards to Brett ‘Caveman’ Kavanaugh going on Fox News to give us a preview performance of his upcoming testimony on Thursday.

From the Reliable Sources email thingie:

Law prof/CNN contributor Steve Vladeck texts me: “The interview is a microcosm of everything that’s been wrong with this confirmation process. We shouldn’t prevent nominees from speaking publicly, but to do so under these circumstances, in that context, and in a manner calculated to exacerbate the partisan divide over the nomination, is not a good look for the Supreme Court in the long term, even if it helps the political calculus for the nominee in the short term. It reinforces the view that nothing in this process matters at all except getting 50 votes by any means necessary…”

No prospective justice has ever done anything like this during the confirmation process, because it politicizes the court.

Via CNN’s Kevin Liptak: “One WH official says Trump has been pushing to take a more offensive approach in defending the nomination and that this was how aides interpreted his command. It’s not clear that he specifically instructed Kavanaugh to sit down with Fox (though it’s possible) but it was the result of his desire to be assertive in combatting the claims rather than just playing defense…”

So it is really clear to me that by choosing Fox, Kavanaugh (actually probably Prznint Stupid) absolutely made this politics. This interview was made to get Possum Hollar agitated, and also to ensure that Kavanaugh was not asked any tough questions, and certainly no follow-up questions when he dodged.

Probably the toughest question (which when you think about it was a non-sequiter as he is NOT accused of actually raping anyong… yet) was about his virginity status in high school. How does that change an accusation of shoving his junk in someone’s face or of an unsuccessful assault?

Mistakes Were Made

At another point he went into passive voice to answer a question, and you can translate it easily enough from the weasel-speak:

And yes, there were parties. And the drinking age was 18, and yes, the seniors were legal and had beer there. And yes, people might have had too many beers on occasion and people generally in high school—I think all of us have probably done things we look back on in high school and regret or cringe a bit, but that’s not what we’re talking about.

…people whose name rhymes with Rhett Cravanaugh, I suppose?

And on it went and included the reappearance of the ridiculous letter signed by 65 classmates (some of whom are now bailing from having signed it, because they were defamed by Kavanaugh) that was ham-handedly stage managed by Don McGahn.

So in the end, the audience of one was pleased to see his stooge fight back, and perhaps a few Republican Senators will be able to claim that he answered all their questions on Fox News as they vote to confirm him. I would like to know how much White House Communications Director Bill Shine was involved, as he was Roger Ailes’ understudy at Fox during all the sexual harassment cases there (until recently).

crossposted from Mock Paper Scissors