GOP goes on offense in support of Kavanaugh
Trump calls allegations ‘totally political,’ unfair
WASHINGTON — Republicans mounted a coordinated drive Monday in support of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination as they fought to keep a second woman’s allegation of long-ago sexual misconduct from derailing his confirmation.
President Donald Trump leapt to Kavanaugh’s defense, the top Senate Republican accused Democrats of a “smear campaign” and an emotional Kavanaugh pledged to fight for his nomination and proclaimed, “I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone.”
In the run-up to an appearance by Kavanaugh and his main accuser at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday, Trump called the accusations “totally political” and among “the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell, R-KY., angrily accused Democrats of slinging “all the mud they could manufacture” and promised a full Senate vote soon, but he specified no date.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., retorted that if Mcconnell believed the allegations were a smear, “Why don’t you call for an FBI investigation?” Schumer accused Republicans of “a rush job to avoid the truth.”
Trump has made clear he won’t order an FBI probe. Mcconnell said Thursday’s hearing would proceed, and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-texas, said the panel could vote on sending Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate as early as Friday.
There were no immediate signs that the emergence of a second accuser had fatally wounded Kavanaugh’s candidacy. Hoping to head that off, he and his GOP supporters went on offense, including the release of a letter he sent the Judiciary Committee accusing his opponents of launching “smears, pure and simple.”
College allegation
On Sunday, The New Yorker magazine reported that Deborah Ramirez described a 1980s, alcohol-heavy Yale dormitory party at which she said Kavanaugh exposed himself, placed his penis in her face and caused her to touch it without her consent. Ford has said Kavanaugh tried removing her clothes and covered her mouth to prevent screams after he pinned her on a bed during a high school party.
Despite the forceful rhetoric by Kavanaugh and his GOP supporters, it remained unclear how three moderate Republican senators — Maine’s Susan Collins, Arizona’s Jeff Flake and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski — would react to the latest accusation.
Collins said Monday she remained undecided about Kavanaugh.
Dozens of people protesting Kavanaugh were arrested outside Collins’ Capitol Hill office. Many wore black “Be A Hero” shirts and chanted slogans including “We will not be silenced.”
Away from Washington, there were walkouts in support of Ford and Ramirez by dozens of liberal groups. The campaign was promoted on Twitter under the hashtag #Believesurvivors, and several Democrats in Congress — including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee vetting Kavanaugh — posted photos in support.
With increasing intensity, Republicans have attacked the credibility of Ford’s and now Ramirez’ accounts. They note that neither the accusers nor news organizations have found people willing to provide corroboration.
Ramirez, who told The New Yorker she’d been drinking at the time, was initially reluctant to speak publicly “partly because her memories contained gaps,” the magazine said. After “six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney,” she felt confident enough to go public, the report said.
The Associated Press tried reaching Ramirez at her home in Boulder, Colorado. A sign on her front door indicated she would have no comment.
‘Left-wing conspiracy’
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway held a conference call with supporters during which she said there was a “vast left-wing conspiracy” to prevent Kavanaugh from winning confirmation, according to a participant who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private call.
Also jumping into the fray was the attorney who represents porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal fight with Trump. Lawyer Michael Avenatti said he was representing a woman with information about high school-era parties attended by Kavanaugh and urged the Senate to investigate.
Avenatti, who has said he’s considering a 2020 Democratic presidential bid, told the AP he will disclose his client’s identity in the coming days and that she is prepared to testify before the committee, as well as provide names of corroborating witnesses.