Kavanaugh just gave the worst defense for his sexual assault scandal

The sexual assault scandal currently bogging down Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is proving to be something of a litmus test, outing the worst members of the GOP as they race to either deny or somehow justify the allegations.

While it’s hardly surprising that so many members of a party run by an avowed sexual predator would be okay with placing a similar man on the most powerful court in the world, it’s no less disturbing.

The New Yorker described the attack, which was outlined in a letter Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) sent to the FBI.

“In the letter, the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom had been drinking, turned up music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. She was able to free herself.”

CNN reports that Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has now added his voice to the conservative cacophony defending Kavanaugh. Hatch stated that he has spoken to Kavanaugh and that Kavanaugh told him “his accuser may be mistaking him for someone else.”

The claim is ludicrous and deeply disrespectful to the victim whose credible claim should be believed, and who has had to live with the psychological trauma of the incident her entire life. Her coming forward was an act of tremendous courage and it’s absurd to suggest she would have done so if she were anything less than certain that Kavanaugh was her attacker.

Kavanaugh told Hatch that he wasn’t at the party where he allegedly sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford. Of course, it’s supremely odd that Kavanaugh would remember not attending a specific party.

If he didn’t assault Ford, how does he immediately know which party she’s referring to? How does he know she’s not alleging he attacked her at one of the numerous other parties he presumably did attend? The denial seems to hinge on an incriminating, firsthand knowledge of the event.

In fact, the defense is so convoluted and counter-intuitive that Kavanaugh emerges from it looking more, not less, guilty. Hatch should be ashamed for believing him and for casting doubt on a credible accuser. Once again, we see a Republican happily eschewing any kind of moral stand in favor of rank partisan expediency.

As if that weren’t enough, Hatch made the disgusting statement that the Senate should consider who Kavanaugh is “today,” as if sexually assaulting someone in his youth isn’t disqualifying.  Bloomberg’s Laura Litvan reported the comment:

If Kavanaugh did what he’s accused of doing, and it seems increasingly likely that he did, he’s a man of disgusting amorality and predation and doesn’t deserve to be a judge at all, let alone a Supreme Court justice. He must be voted down.