U.S. Supreme Court Fight: Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Ford Give Contradictory but Powerful Accounts
Earlier this month, Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University in California, alleged that Brett Kavanaugh had assaulted her during a party in the 1980s when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court in July.
For 20 minutes today, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford held the stage in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee with genuine emotion. She spoke of traumatic memories and decades of shame, of her need to do her civic duty to come forward to talk about what was done to her 36 years ago by a man – Brett Kavanaugh, who is now up to be confirmed as a judge to the U.S. Supreme Court.
During questioning from Democratic senators, Ford went on to provide details of the attack and her account was peppered with memorable lines. She said she was 100% certain that Brett - referring to Kavanaugh by his first name - was the teenager who assaulted her.
Ford narrated her ordeal saying, "Early in the evening, I went up a narrow set of stairs leading from the living room to a second floor to use the bathroom. When I got to the top of the stairs, I was pushed from behind into a bedroom. I couldn't see who pushed me. Brett and Mark came into the bedroom and locked the door behind them.
There was music already playing in the bedroom. It was turned up louder by either Brett or Mark once we were in the room. I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me. He began running his hands over my body and grinding his hips into me," CNN reported.
"I yelled, hoping someone downstairs might hear me, and tried to get away from him, but his weight was heavy. Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes. He had a hard time because he was so drunk and because I was wearing a one-piece bathing suit under my clothes. I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming. This was what terrified me the most, and has had the most lasting impact on my life," she added.
When Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein quizzed Ford on how she was absolutely sure that Kavanaugh had allegedly assaulted her, she replied that "it is the same way that she was talking to here right now and basic memory functions."
Responding to a question of mistaken identity from Feinstein, Ford said: "absolutely not." Another Democratic Senator, Amy Klobuchar asked Ford to recall the alleged assault, to which she replied, "The stairwell, the living room, the bedroom, the bed on the right side of the room - as you walk into the room, there was a bed to the right - the bathroom in close proximity, the laughter, the uproarious laughter, and the multiple attempts to escape and the final ability to do so."
Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court by U.S. President Donald Trump in July to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Brett Kavanaugh, during his testimony came out with his fists swinging, metaphorically. He was fighting for his professional life and his testimony was all about it.
Testifying under oath, Kavanaugh forcefully denied the allegations against him made by Christine Blasey Ford, who has basically accused Kavanaugh of attempted rape.
“This confirmation process has become a national disgrace,” Kavanaugh told lawmakers on the Senate judiciary committee, vacillating between shouting and breaking down in tears. “You have replaced advise and consent with search and destroy.”
“I’m here today to tell the truth: I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone: not in high school, not in college, never.” "I am innocent of this charge," Kavanaugh thundered.
Kavanaugh slammed what he called a "grotesque and coordinated character assassination" and a "calculated and orchestrated political hit." "My family and my name have been permanently destroyed by vicious and false accusations," Kavanaugh said.
"This confirmation process has become a national disgrace." But he said he would not withdraw his candidacy for a spot on the nine-member Supreme Court.
"I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process," Kavanaugh said. "You may defeat me in the final vote but you'll never get me to quit. Never."
Earlier this month, Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University in California, alleged that Brett Kavanaugh had assaulted her during a party in the 1980s when they were both in high school. She had accused Kavanaugh of groping her and attempting to remove her clothes. (With wire inputs)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2018 07:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).