via nationalreview:
What grates me about this recent talk of norms is that that efforts to police norms have of late been notoriously one-sided, mainly serving the purpose of advancing Democratic political priorities. For instance, in 2011, President Barack Obama invited Paul Ryan, who was then the chairman of the House Budget Committee, to a speech on entitlements. At the speech, Obama blasted Ryan’s economic proposals as “a vision of our future that is deeply pessimistic,” and he proceeded to rip them to shreds in a highly partisan fashion, with Ryan in attendance, at the invitation of the White House.
Was this a violation of the “norms” of government? Yes. Did liberal pundits and their supposedly nonpartisan friends in the mainstream media blast the president for said violation? Not especially.
That is one of the problem with policing norms. They are not written down, so it is easy to be sensitive to the violation of norms that negatively affect your side while shrugging off those violations that positively affect your side.
Which brings me to Brett Kavanaugh.
In the last few years, I have rarely seen a more egregious violation of norms than what I have witnessed in the past 15 days.
Plus: “And continuously on Twitter, I have watched journalists, in blatant and open advocacy against Brett Kavanaugh, abandon the norms that they usually like to tout.”
I think it was Ace who noted a few years ago that the press has gone from merely biased to nakedly partisan — to shrinking audiences and plummeting trust, I’d add.
BUT THE “BOOF” INVESTIGATION WON’T BE FINISHED, AND THERE ARE SOME DNA TESTS STILL TO BE PERFORMED ON BEER BOTTLES FOUND IN THE YALE LAW SCHOOL BASEMENT: McConnell: Senate will hold Kavanaugh vote ‘this week.’
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the Senate will hold a vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination this week.
“The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close. Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination is out of committee. We’re considering it here on the floor and … we’ll be voting this week,” McConnell said.
McConnell’s comments, made during a Senate floor speech, comes as the FBI has to wrap up its investigation into multiple sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh by Friday.
GOP senators and aides have been careful not to pin down a specific timeline on Kavanaugh’s nomination, arguing that the FBI could wrap up its work before the Friday deadline.
If McConnell waited until Friday to file cloture on Kavanaugh’s nomination that would set up an initial vote on ending debate as early as Sunday.
If McConnell filed cloture before that, he could bring up the vote as soon as the Friday deadline passed or when the FBI wrapped up its investigation.
Cocaine Mitch seems to be running out of patience.
RACHEL MITCHELL: ‘He Said, She Said’ Case Incredibly Difficult to Prove, Kavanaugh Allegation Even Weaker Than That.
She outlined several points as to why Ford’s allegation is weaker than a typical “he said, she said” case.
1. Dr. Ford has not offered a consistent account of when the alleged assault happen.
2. Dr. Ford has struggled to identify Judge Kavanaugh as the assailant by name.
3. When speaking with her husband, Dr. Ford changed her description of the incident to become less specific.
4. Dr. Ford has no memory of key details of the night in question–details that could help corroborate her account.
5. Dr. Ford’s account of the alleged assault has not been corroborated by anyone she identified as having attended–including her lifelong friend.
6. Dr. Ford has not offered a consistent account of the alleged assault.
7. Dr. Ford has struggled to recall important recent events relating to her allegations, and her testimony regarding recent events raises further questions about her memory.
8. Dr. Ford’s description of the psychological impact of the event raises questions.
9. The activities of congressional Democrats and Dr. Ford’s attorneys likely affected Dr. Ford’s account.Mitchell provided details to each point using Ford’s own testimony, her polygraph test, and the letter she sent to Feinstein.
Believe the evidence, not the woman.
OH: One of the Women Who Ambushed Flake in Elevator is Director of Soros-Funded Group. “The other woman is reportedly an activist with the group.”
h/t SG