I honestly believed that we had a chance. I’m rarely a wide-eyed optimist, but even I felt some kind of vague hope that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford would be seen and heard and that she would change someone’s mind, that she would properly shame all of those old men and old women. But I should not have been hopeful – those old men (and old women) didn’t see her. They didn’t hear her. They didn’t care. They apologized to the hysterical, screeching liar who wept over calendars and beer. He committed perjury. He is, without any doubt in my mind, a sexual assailant. And now Brett Kavanaugh is a Supreme Court Justice.
In the wee hours of the morning on November 10th, just hours after Donald Trump became the president-elect, I wrote here that we don’t own this. We didn’t own what happens next in America. If you voted for Hillary Clinton, it’s not on you, it’s not on me, it’s not “on” the majority of voters in the 2016 election. We, the majority, are being dictated to by an unhinged, fascistic minority. We don’t own this. We never did. We were always spectators in this sh-tshow. Once you let go of that ownership, there is some kind of f–ked up philosophical peace, probably akin to what Freud called the death instinct. It hasn’t been our country since that moment – we can fight for what we believe in, we can vote, we can scream, we can get good and mad, but ultimately… we don’t own this. We’ll be the ones to clean it up though. And it will take generations to clean it up, if we even get that far.
It’s not worth detailing Susan Collins’ abhorrent, vile speech in support of white supremacy Brett Kavanaugh. It’s not worth detailing Joe Manchin being an utter f–kwad. It’s not worth mentioning how many of these senators have sisters and wives and daughters and mothers who now know that their husband/dad/son/brother thinks that a sexual assault victim is a political pawn and crisis actor. Or worse yet, that a sexual assault victim was truly victimized, but it doesn’t matter in the least. It’s not worth it. All of them will burn in hell. All of the senators who supported Kavanaugh will pay, long-term. Trust that.
In the wake of the realization that Kavanaugh would be confirmed, these old white dudes threw a party. They were so happy to reaffirm their narrow grasp on power, a grasp which will – admittedly – be made a lot stronger with Kavanaugh on the SCOTUS bench. Roe will likely be overturned – probably not in one swoop, but they’ll chip away at it significantly for years and years. SCOTUS will become a rubber stamp for much of the Trump agenda. Who knows what will even happen when, say, there is a constitutional crisis and a sitting president is indicted for high crimes and misdemeanors. It will be a sh-tshow. But again, we don’t own this. We told our stories. We voted. We let them know that we were done with their bullsh-t. They didn’t listen to us. They didn’t care. So what happens next is on them. Take care of yourselves and stay angry.
One more thing… there were conservative commentators, Russian bots and elected officials who basically blamed sexual assault victims for even daring to come forward and tell their stories. Don’t listen to anything those motherf–kers have to say. Tell your stories. Tell your truth. Go to the police, go to a therapist, go to a friend, go to a lawyer, go to the FBI. Keep talking. Keep talking. Keep talking. Get mad. Keep talking.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
To the never Hillary folks. This is as much your victory as it is trump’s.
Don’t forget Putin/Russia hand in this s#$@t show. Don the Con and his entire family and Senators will pay one day. I stopped watching tv since last Thursday, I was so disappointed I could not see straight. I have been watching HGTV and Game Show Network, GSN. This morning I have not turned on the tv to the news, refused to watch the racists scum bags gloating and lying about their victory.
My cats are the only thing keeping me sane through all this
I avoided the news since Friday, too. They’ve checked off one more box, and now it’s on to stripping Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid and healthcare. I’m sure they know the clock is ticking.
I was phone banking and door knocking and it was pretty therapeutic talking to people that feel the same and others that don’t. Take a little time and volunteer for a campaign it helps
On my Tumblr, I had somebody literally state something along the lines of, “I wonder if Hillary still regrets her methods in the 2016 campaign today”
and i just
lost it
Because I cannot believe we are two years removed from 2016, and there are adult voters who still think it is the responsibility of POLITICIANS to save them rather than their own duty to the democracy they live in to maintain it.
Afuckingmen, Veronica!
And the Bernie or busters would argue that it’s the fault of the people who nominated Clinton. So at least everyone gets to feel smug and happy with themselves.
.
@Veronica S the depths of human idiocy is astounding and @Rescue Cat ain’t that the truth. I’m trying to understand the payoff of smugness.
So basically they’re blaming the rank and file of the Democratic Party (i.e, people of color, women in general, etc) for this mess because they picked Clinton over Bernie. Do they understand how anti-democratic that sounds? They need to understand Bernie was not entitled to our votes. He had to earn it and he failed to connect with a big part of the party for some reason. That’s on him.
This fiction that the nomination was stolen from Bernie needs to end. Nothing and I mean NOTHING the Clinton camp did can possibly account for her beating him by almost 4 million votes. It wasn’t even close.
I’m so so tired of this nonsense. I am relatively moderate but if Bernie wins the Dem nomination I will HAPPILY vote for him over Trump if for no other reason than the fact Bernie won’t LIE to us every single day, he won’t enrich himself at the people’s expense and he won’t erode our democratic norms & institutions and upend the post WW II liberal order in a manner that just so happens to be in alignment with a brutal anti-democracy autocrat. I wish Bernie & Busters would come to a similar epiphany that ANY Democrat at this point is still miles better than voting for Trump or his Trumplican minions.
Are we still blaming Bernie? The Democratic Party should be coming together, not pointing fingers at this point.
We still have hope – November is fast approaching!
The only positive comment I can make after reading is this: Kaiser, you are a really good writer, that was poweful.
I agree, well said Kaiser!
Well done, Kaiser
thanks ladies
But how will those senators pay longterm? I get that you can only get through all of this, by hoping there will be justice, but in all honesty, that will never happen.
Even if those senators will get voted out in November- they are white, old and rich. They will never suffer. They will play golf at the country club.
The Brock Turners of the world will grow up and become the Trumps and Kavanaughs of the world. And the Trumps and Kavanaughs shape the future of the Brock Turners.
I am fully in support of being angry, full of rage, going out to vote, trying to change things. But I kind of lost hope, that things will fundamentaly change. There will always be this power imbalance.
Kaiser— I really don’t want to sound like a creep… you are a brilliant writer. I could not get through the hell that is American government right now without your voice. Your voice is my voice and you consistently express the despair and anger I feel at this cluster-fuck of a world we are living in. Thank you for sharing your gift. This site is my one place of sanity. I just can’t believe how happy the trumpanzees are about being gaslit everyday. It feels very lonely to be one of the few to see the truth before their eyes. You and everyone on this site are so validating. Thank you!!
It did help to read that, Kaiser. Your insight into politics and how they affect your readers is quite the gift. Glad this site has you.
Yes @Lady D, agreed. And with others who said similar. I think that’s why there are more bots here, Pajiba and sites I visit that are predominately POC and I hope there’s more discrimination at play now.
Sometimes when I come back and read my comments, my attempts to write, edit and impatience don’t make for a coherent read. I mean I hope ppl are more discerning about fake/bot comments. It really seems like it to me.
Yes, thank you Kaiser! Thank you for your insight, and providing us with a safe space. While the number of people around me who get it continues to shrink, I am so grateful to have this space to connect.
I agree, Kaiser, and it was such a fucking relief to read your words this morning. And to know I’m not alone in feeling that America is not my country anymore. Maybe it never was our country, since we’re women.
I felt hope for a while as a feminist—I really thought things might get better—but nothing ever changes in America, really. We still have old, self-important, hypocritical white men telling us what we can do with our bodies, telling us by everything they say and do that we’re not full citizens, that to them we are and always will be “the little woman.”
It breaks my heart that so many women in office sell out for the sake of holding on to the little power they’ve managed to grab. Susan Collins is a sellout. That is clear. Her statement made me feel physically ill. Commentators were saying all week that if she voted NO on Kavanaugh it would be “the end of Collins’ political career”…I guess she was listening and in the end that was all that mattered to her: her career.
I have to ask her this: What the hell is the point of attaining that power and influence IF YOU DON’T USE IT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT?
I thought on the early morning hours of November 9, 2016 when the final election results came in, that it was the worst day of my life as an American, but Trump, hideously corrupt and incompetent as he is, won’t be in power for generations. Kavanaugh will. He will.
So often in the last two years I’ve felt ready to give up, ready to fold, and this is the worst moment for a lot of us but, yeah, I know you’re right. We do need to stay angry.
There are people I know who surprised me by voting for Trump. I used to think they were reasonable people. Now I am debating laying it on the table with them:
do they know what they have done? One’s a woman, one’s a minority. I think they had $$ for blinders. I don’t know if I can honestly talk to them any more.
Yeah, Trashaddict, I have the same situation, and I used to just try to avoid talking to them about politics, then I began avoiding THEM, but now I think I might have to either lay it on the table or forget I know them.
@Trashaddict Try looking for the Pajiba Oct 3rd article “To Our Trump Supporting Friends, Family Members, and Work Colleagues: We Are Done With You Now”, which I think CB may have linked to in recent days. You’ll find alot of likeminded people, very cathartic to read…
Agreed so well written. We’ve been through this in our own little country at tip of Africa. And the cleanup has started but the rot runs deep. If I can share one thing from our experience is that civil society needs to mobilise and become active. It’s the only way to bring the f*ckers down. We did it in the 80s and we did it again now.
“Stay angry, little Meg,” Mrs Whatsit whispered. “You will need all your anger now.”
– A wrinkle in time… Important corollary, dear ones, from Mrs Whatsit: “I give you my love, Meg. Never forget that. My love always.”
Beautiful, Sharon. Thank you.
This is what happens when most American citizens just cannot be bothered stepping up and showing up to EVERY election for at least the last 30 to 40 years.
Democracy must be fought for every step of the way.
Good luck to the Dems for the coming midterms and the possibility to correct this abomination.
IMPEACH. IMPEACH. IMPEACH.
Americans have been convinced their votes don’t matter or they’re blocked from voting by many nefarious means. Third oarty movements rely on “both parties are the same” messaging to gain traction. And the system is bad. We have to embark on a long process of education and support.
There is also plain ole apathy. There are people who will stand in line for hours for Black Friday sales or concert tickets, yet won’t take the time to vote.
We need to get out and get those apathetic people fired up to vote again.
Otherwise nothing changes. #NovemberIsComing.
One of the greatest political tricks in history has to be how Republicans have convinced poor, white voters that billionaires representing corporate interests are people striking a blow for the common man and looking out for them. It’s just so confusing to me how there are poor people, vulnerable people, who vote for candidates to have their insurance taken away, vote for people who are union busters, vote for Trump and Gingrich as family values candidates and now want Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court for decades, a man who’s in favor of reining in regulations governing the environment, workplace safety and consumer protections put in place for the average worker. All to stick it to women and the Democrats. What sort of Bizarro World do they live in?
As crazy as it sounds, some political scientists think that most people don’t vote according to policy or anything rational, really. They don’t make the connection between party and policy, at all. They may benefit from the ACA, for example, but they have no idea why, what it is, or how it happened. They certainly don’t understand that it was tied to voting. Republicans could slash it and blame it on the Democrats, no problem.
It’s gotten worse over time. Ignorant motivations for voting are easily manipulated, and the GOP has seized on this to whip deplorables up into a frenzy. It doesn’t matter what the GOP ends up doing for them or to them via policy. Factor in the whole fake news thing and bots, and you have an ignorant population even more convinced that the only person they can trust is Trump.
The concept of fake news caused people who never cared to inform themselves before, to now think that it would be harmful to even try. In fact to them, the “right” thing to do is shut out all “fake” knowledge and only listen to Trump. Terrifying.
GOP = Geriatric Old Penises.
Make an argument for local elections, but Republicans have been chipping away at democracy for YEARS. DECADES. Before minorities even had any real representation and power, white men and women were making sure they could take it away.
So this isn’t our mess to fix. White people, men and women, need to fix this problem. This is THEIR problem. The problems minorities have faced for decades are now trickling up to them. They should have listened to us before, but no one cares about our pain.
I’ve seen white “liberals” lamenting Kapernick for taking the knee. Now, they are up in arms about Kavanaugh. There is a disconnect in their thinking that has allowed today’s events.
@Derrier: PREACH!!!! THIS SO SO MUCH. We been dealing with this, dont even faze us anymore. White people need to realize this is effing game of thrones, NOT a democracy. Pick your alliances and cultivate them.
Meanwhile I am focused on putting coins in my banks here and in Africa where i have a 2nd passport due to my parents. I have somewhere to go when WWIII inevitably starts, and i have already lived there for a couple years. Bloop!
100%
The entirety of American politics these days is cognitive dissonance melding with Medici style power politics and meddling with the truth. The more subverted the truth becomes, the more the deplorables hysterically cheer. No wonder Albert Speer only had to shine some spotlights into the dark to create an effect; the people present were the ones creating the cathedrals of light, as befitting their Reich, in their hyperactive imaginations.
@OCE, It’s funny, I’m doing the same thing. Saving my money in accounts abroad and securing a visa abroad.
I notice that more minorities are setting up contingency plans in case things really do go to sh*t (more so than they are already). I may experience racism in Europe, but chances are, I’m not dying at the hands of a police officer, and my right to get an abortion and access to adequate health care is not at risk. Have been thinking more and more about moving to Africa. You probably have the right idea!
Honestly, this all started during the last mid-terms in 2014 when some state seats flipped from Dem to Repub. Then, when the 2016 election happened, privileged men like Kavanaugh didn’t want to stand up for women even with wife, daughters, sisters, mothers. Everyone, vote Dem this mid-term, please. If you care about the state of the US, you will take the time to fill in the bubble with the Dem candidate. The executive and judiciary branches have already been compromised; the legislative branch is the only hope for the US not to become a totalitarian state.
It started in the 80’s with Reagan when Charles Koch his run for presidency on a libertarian ticket.
And please, please teach your daughters from a very young age – so that it becomes second nature, like breathing – that they should stick up for themselves, scream at the top of their lungs, do whatever it takes when they are being assaulted/molested/disrespected.
Entitled *ssholes don’t understand civility. They don’t care about your feelings or thoughts. They DO understand a swift kick to their crotch or a finger gouge to their eye. The GOP demands “proof,” right? Give them something to remember so that in the future they can recall the time they messed with a female who refused to take it anymore. I sure wish my mom or dad taught me this at a young age instead of the mandatory “always be polite, use good manners.” It would’ve saved me so much misery in situations starting at age12. (I wonder if BK has had this talk with his own daughters, and just how guilty he felt while doing it? Oh, that’s right, he doesn’t renember.)
@Really: If it were as simple as “filling out a bubble” to go and vote, try heading to North Carolina as a Black man to go “fill out a a bubble”. Ask my brother and his friends what he dealt with down there. Google NYtimes + voter suppresstion + N.Carolina. Go to Baltimore city and see the fliers they put around in the inner city. LOLZ – please dont be this naive – it is Oct 2018. “Filling out a bubble” is so simplistic – you have to understand why so many people dot attempt to vote..
@oce I’m sorry what your brother is facing, but are you saying that because it is difficult, people shouldn’t vote? Minorities fought for their right to vote, and it was as difficult if not more so then than it is now. Was it really all voter suppression that kept people from voting for Hillary in the 2016 election? Granted, voter suppression and gerrymandering should have been a priority for the Dems since 2011, but you seem to be excusing apathy or not voting because the Republicans are making it difficult.
The only thing that is keeping me from losing it completely right now is telling myself that Kavanaugh will be removed by the Democrats as soon as humanly possible. It might be wishful thinking but I need to believe it.
@Lorelei: To believe that is to continue living in denial. But if that makes you comfortable, that’s your choice and I won’t judge you. As long as you don’t judge me and other POC for shrugging our shoulders as this mess unfolds. We been seen this coming, we been dealing with this. #JOINTHECLUB #oppressedbutstillthriving #Youcantholdmedown
That was a very close vote. With all the evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election, does anyone else think some of the politicians may have been “persuaded “ to vote for this guy? It is like the country is in the midst of a civil war but without the weapons
I would agree RBC, and I would go further. WE ARE AT WAR, and have been since the Tangerine Tyrant took office. The gloves are off, and I am spitting mad. The country is being handed over to the lowest common denominator, who are gleeful in their ignorant stupidity, it simply beggars belief! There is such a fine, tenuous line between democracy and anarchy, and the Odious One pushes that line with every fetid word he utters! Did I mention that I am spitting mad?
“gleeful in their ignorant stupidity” I am seeing so much of that lately, in my country, your country, EU countries and more. It’s like a virus that’s spreading around the world Planet of the Apes style. I guess the only antidote is education, although with so much inner rage these days, it’s starting to seem like education isn’t enough. It should be interesting when Trump finally figures out that half his country or more is ready for a little destruction of their own.
The one thing that comforts me is that we have the brains on our side. My hope is that brains will win over brawn. The GOP has been playing dirty, using our very integrity against us, as we try to fight them with words, via the proper channels. Maybe people see that more clearly now. We can return the favor, and then some 🤞
I agree. I believe we ARE at war and have been for a while, certainly since the 2016 elections but probably before. I believe Putin and his allies (inc many in the GOP) are playing a brilliant game, exploiting all kinds of weaknesses in democracy, not just here but evidence of similar behavior in Philippines, Brazil, etc., bribing and/or black-mailing key people to “plow through” with their goals. And the republican base are just angry and gullible enough to fall for it. It’s like the poor confederate soldiers who fought and died for rich plantation owners, thinking they were all in it together… It’s all just so sad…and scary…
The Republican Party is being aided, via propaganda, by an antagonistic foreign power. So, yeah, we’re at war, but the only Americans fighting in this battle are the Democrats. Grab your lazy friends by the pussies and drag them to the polls in November!
I think it’s intense and (horrendous) interesting to watch this unfold on Facebook. The people who have been protesting this have been a varied group of humans from all walks of life: I’ve seen brave people coming forward with their stories. Men, Women: varied races, varied educations and financial levels.
The people I’ve seen celebrating this “man” winning have been the same, sad stereotype. You all know the type. I pity them and their lack of humanity.
Watching the GOP celebrate has been so very sickening. It’s clear this isn’t even about their nominee as it is themselves. Way too many of them saw their younger and even current selves in his behavior. He can’t be wrong because then they are wrong.
I hope the investigations into these men continue. Lindsey Graham, in particular, must be hiding something truly awful. I hope they’re all exposed.
You know there was something they were hiding when they announced the FBI findings will be top secret, kept in a vault, and the American people were never going to see it ever. What are they hiding that is so bad that it must never see the light of day. If the Dems had done this to a Republican jurist DON THE CON would be raising holy hell to see it.
… And they interviewed neither the main protagonist nor his accusers. It beggars belief that such a report could be accepted straight faced and taken seriously.
A vote for a Republican is a vote against America and its laws. They are trash.
There it is, plainly and powerfully said. You’re right, Isabelle.
Lindsey Graham seemed almost hysterical at times when insisting BK must be nominated. Almost afraid of what would happen if he didn’t become a Supreme Court judge…
Yes, and I can’t help wondering what his old friend McCain would have said, watching his hysterical polemics. McCain is dead, the rightwing has no check on them now.
Graham only used McCain as a means to an end— obtaining more power. As soon as McCain’s health began to fail, Graham hitched his wagon to the Trump-mobile, bloviating on a golf course. His first demonstration of allegiance to his new master was to spit on McCain’s grave by getting Javanka in to the funeral. His rant during the Kavanaugh hearing was his final audition. Watch him be rewarded by Trump when he becomes AG. Graham cares for nothing except amassing his personal power as much as possible.
I’m not trying to hold McCain up as the picture of integrity, I’m just trying to show that Graham doesn’t care about the team he’s on and doesn’t care about anyone period, not even his “friends.” What I’m saying is that Graham has zero shame and will stoop lower than I can comprehend for his own goals.
I literally had to shut down my computer and walk away when McConnell dropped his, “Thanks to the resistance for firing up the base!” gloat. I had literally never felt such intense rage in my life.
@Veronica S…. I felt it the day after the last presidential election. Inescapable, burning rage. Add to that rage diminishing relationships with a handful of relatives who I found had voted for the b^stard. I do not associate with or speak with them any longer. It struck me as so bizarre that I never knew their political beliefs before that.
What a basic, brilliant strategy from these evil Retrumplican politicians. Divide and conquer. It’s worked for centuries.
I’m really struggling to not just give up. I know everyone is screaming to vote, but I’m feeling so jaded and cynical right now that I want to tell all politicians to go f**k themselves.
I hear you and there are times when I feel the same way. But please, go vote. Don’t allow them to take away your power of the ballot box. That’s what they’re counting on, to demoralize and beat folks down so that hope is gone and you give up your power of the vote. As I tell young people all the time, if voting didn’t matter, REthugs wouldn’t go to such extreme measures as gerrymandering and voter ID laws to prevent you from voting. So please, no matter how low you’re feeling go vote and take someone who hasn’t voted with you.
Civil Rights activists were literally getting murdered. We are women, we are strong and we will overcome. #NovemberIsComing
@Jenns But you must vote, you mustn’t give up. Evil occurs when the good do nothing, are defeated.
If you want to see an example of true evil in action that was overcome by shining examples of goodness and fierce spirit, watch PBS’s “Freedom Summer”. A fine lesson for our times.
My goal is to not cry this weekend. Im so exhausted from watching the news and being mortified by my country all the time.
Me, too, Melly. I haven’t turned on the news since Friday, because I knew what was going to happen, and since the vote I just haven’t been able to bear watching the reports. I knew Jeff Flake would flake out. Susan Collins would sell out her fellow women in order to hold on to power. Joe Manchin would hold on to his mansion.
I will contribute as far as I am able to their opposing candidates in upcoming elections, for the foreseeable future. I will not forget this. I will ream them on social media in perpetuity. I am done accepting bullshit excuses from sellouts. It’s time for them to feel the consequences of their actions.
In 1996 when Susan Collins was first elected to the senate, she said she was in favor of term limits, and pledged to go home to Maine after serving two terms. So she’s a liar. This time around she had her fun letting America think that she was on the fence about Kavanaugh. The truth is that she was McConnells closer all along. Her forever long and boring speech praising BK was a triumph of hypocrisy. I’d like to move to Maine just to have the pleasure of voting against her, but I’ll be satisfied with donating to her opponent. I hope that Susan Rice is serious about running against Collins.
Susan Collins hypocrisy is amazing…she’s a classic example of a white female being complicit and upholding white males. Especially in light of how she demanded Al Franken apologize: “In the midst of the Al Franken sexual misconduct scandal, Collins tweeted, “Sexual harassment and assault have no place in any workplace. The reports involving Senator Franken are disturbing. His belated apology was certainly warranted.”
Three of my family members moved to Maine in the past year. They will not be voting for Susan Collins in 2020. Three other family members live in other states but own properties in northern Maine. Yesterday, they were discussing switching their voter registration to their Maine addresses for the 2020 election, depending on how close the race is.
I am a CA resident but gave money to the crowd pac that will fund Collins’ opponent. I hear she may not be running again tho…but I will happy to fund any democrat running anywhere.
I am from Maine and could switch back to my registration there. I’ll do that when the time comes.
I am also donating to Dems in battleground states. I’m almost a thousand miles from Texas, but I’m going to volunteer at a phone bank HERE for Beto O’Rourke. I encourage everyone to consider donating across state lines and volunteering for the candidates you believe in, wherever they are. If you feel like your efforts are wasted in your own state, you can apply them elsewhere! No travel required!
I love hearing this, Lightpurple.
Although I have no vote in Maine, I will limit my political donations to supporting Collins’ opposition. No one will get my money unless they are opposing Collins. She has sold out the women of America for the sake of her career, and it’s an empty career if she has lost her principles.
Oh golly, here’s another good one! Why have I not heard this before?
https://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-kennedy-son-loaned-president-trump-over-a-billion-dollars-2018-6
Holy fuck, Trashaddict, that’s a must-read! Thanks for posting the link.
Take a closer look at the guy she married in 2012–Thomas Daffron. He runs a consulting and lobbyist firm in DC, and has apparently done work for Russian interests. Things that make you go hmmm.
Omg.
The GOP senators were protecting their old shrivelled penis’s from female ‘hysterics’ but hey its ok for a drunk white rapist to cry a river into his beer in front on the nation, cuz he’s one of them and that’s ok.
Vote them out and never let up on how they gave a SC seat to a perjurer and rapist. Never let Bret Beerman forget it either.
https://twitter.com/JohnCornyn/status/1048696008513925120
from Republican Senator.
They know he did it and they love him for that.
This is just so gross.
I found this particularly repulsive. It’s one thing that the demented WH acts without class or decency, but now the GOP senators are fully despicable. There are no moderate GOPs. They all need to be flushed away.
Supreme Court Justices are supposed to be politically neutral. They should not inspire such partisan celebrating, regardless of whether they been accused of sexual assault or not. This is truly truly awful.
They hate women, period, they want us submissive and under their control. It is why they are so obsessed with Hillary. She is representive of the women they hate so much. Women should be in the streets over this TBH.
Cornyn is one of my senators and he’s often quietly evil, content to let the bigger names in the GOP capture the headlines while still pushing his evil agenda. He’s not up this election cycle but there’s talk that one of the Castro brothers might run to unseat him.
Meanwhile I’m working as hard as I can to get out the vote for Beto and other down ballot candidates.
I’m working but I also have a feeling of hopelessness. I wish it were different but after all of this I can’t feel any real hope. I was sobbing last night. This morning I’m numb.
Also, as a white woman, I guess the only thing I can say that’s been remotely a good thing is that since 45* was elected, the level of complicity so many white women have has been made clear. And with that clarity comes a drive to change it. At least we all now know how much we collectively have bought into and supported racism just as long as we felt like it protected our white privilege. If white women don’t come out in force at midterms and vote blue, then I don’t know what on earth will move them to change.
And the GOP lectures the rest of us on “civility.”
The “no wishing death on anyone” rule is still in force but we’re not banning people for it. Just don’t do it please.
Its sad adults need to be told this…
@Melly: I totally disagree with your comment.
I understand and will respect CB’s wish to keep such statements off this site, but many, many people with far less power, privilege, and money will CERTAINLY die as a result of Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Oops, sorry. Then I’ll just wish Brett a delightful case of dysentery. Incurable.
Then my hope for Susan Collins is that she spontaneously develops a semblance of a conscience, enough so that she will be consumed with self-hatred every moment, every day, for the rest of her life.
Hatch-84, Grassley-85, McConnell-76, Drumpf-72. Maybe we won’t have to “wish” much longer. McConnell and Drumpf are the two unhealthiest looking 70 somethings I’ve ever seen. I turn 74 in three weeks and compared to them I look 40 something.
Unfortunately Trump’s dad lived into his 90s. I am not counting on old age to do our work for us.
Let’s not underestimate the havoc stress creates in a body.
Jerusha, I thought you were in your mid-50’s.
Here’s hoping a really really bad flu season hits the Senate , White House and Congress
Is it really a victory if it was rigged from the get go?
No its just Republicans doing what they do and they have the power.
Pence will go home and say “look Mommy! We won, we won!”
Cast your vote come November.
Phone bank, make calls, knock on doors, help people get to the polls, put parental lock on fox news, donate, teach your children how government is supposed to work whatever you have to do. Voting is the least we can do. #NovemberIsComing
Is there any explanation for Manchins vote? Didn‘t he also hurt the democrats with this move?
He’s in a red state so he wants to hold his seat. He has no spine.
Explanation for Manchin’s vote? He lives in a state that went for Jabba by 40 points. And he’ll probably lose his seat anyway.
Manchin’s got a comfortable lead, he’ll probably win. He’s a just a an asshole.
Please consider donating to Heidi Heitcamp. A red state dem who voted no!
Manchin was not the deciding vote, once Collins said she was a yes (had he voted no, Pence would have broken the tie). I think if Collins had voted no, he would have followed her, but once it became clear his vote was not going to keep Kavanaugh off the court, he made the politically expedient choice. I don’t like his choice, but if it keeps Morrissey out of the Senate I’ll take it, for now.
WV’s other senator, Shelley Moore Capito, was flanking Collins during that hideous speech. Capito votes with Trump 98% of the time. I’m sure she was placed their partially because she’s a woman, but I think also as a reminder to Joe of what his state is like.
Vote the Blue Wave in November. Change the Senate to make it Democratic. Bring the confirmation back to a fair and balanced 60 votes. Vote the Blue Wave in 2018 and 2020. We can do this.
My heart breaks for Dr.Ford, her life has been irrevocably changed by the actions of this man twice.
My heart is also broken for the US. I am/live in Canada and this has been like watching a car crash but not being able to help
I live here and feel the same. I’ve been numb since Dump won. I cannot even recognize this country anymore. When educated people I know talk about their support for Dump, I fear for America. I can even see him winning again in ’20. A little Russian interference, and a right wing court could keep this country under this regime for years. I am seriously checking my options to get the hell out.
What the heck is happening in America?
What I saw yesterday, including not just the old boy misogyny but also the promotion of underage drinking. Great message the GOP is sending our kids.
The sad part is that there will be young girls and women with psycho GOP parents who will be victimized and won’t feel they have a place to turn to because they know their parents blame the girl.
One GOP Senator even said he would question his own daughter if she came forward with a sexual assault claim. Wtf!
#familyvalues
My heartbreaks for American women and all survivors. It’s Thanksgiving weekend at home in Canada, but it feels so hard to be thankful when it feels like everything is burning.
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. We will persist.
I know it sucks seeing all this unfold in front of our eyes and feel helpless. You can’t vote or do calls or drive ppl to go register or vote for the midterms, but you can still donate to the ACLU, RAINN and/or PP. They’ll all need the extra help to keep fighting.
Also, remember that we’ll have federal elections next year and there’s a lot on our plate. We already have Doug Ford, a fake NPD in Alberta, Legault has just been elected in Quebec (mum’s going to an anti-racism demonstration, I’m on cooking duty) and NB is likely going to turn Conservative with the help of a far-right, anti-francophone party… We CAN’T let Sheer get in. Trudeau’s not great, but he’s nothing close to Sheer. We’re not in a better state of sanity than the US, we’re not safer, we have to work and organize. I’ve been listening to the Hips non stop til yesterday; darn was Gord a great man!
You’re so right. In Canada we can sometimes feel so sanctimonious, but our political atmosphere often mirrors our neighbours to the south and this conservative wave is frightening. Doug Ford is a nightmare and Andrew Sheer would be our own Roe v. Wade in Canada.
Justice T*ts and Cl*ts is still under investigation by the ABA, right? Does anyone know what the possibility is that he might get disbarred? Is there any hope in that area?
The ABA said they do not have a say in the disbarment process.
Yes, it’s a state issue that applies to attorneys, not judges. The Constitution does not require Supreme Court justices to be lawyers. Disbarment would just take away his license as an attorney in a certain state. Unfortunately it would not be of any use now.
I’m sure Putin is celebrating, as he hopes we will lose faith in one of our strongest judicial institutions. I am cautiously optimistic that Judge Roberts will hold back the wave of lobbyist-sponsored cases meant to erode democracy. Hamilton68, which tracks bots and hashtags being pushed by the Russians, shows that Putin continues to push the Kavanaugh/confirmation message. Proves how important his appointment was to them. The GOP must lose seats! Many (ethical, sane, moderate) registered Republicans are themselves calling for voting only Democrat in the midterms, so we can right the ship. Our early voting starts soon. Can’t wait!
I actually have some faith in John Roberts. I could be very wrong, but I don’t think he will over turn Roe. I also think he is disgusted by Kavanope and Dump and knows he has a bigger responsibility than ever before. At least I hope…
It’s Griswold that’s the real concern, not Roe.
I love this website and I always love the insightful commentary. I will say that I agree that they will pay in the polls but they won’t pay in the least in any other way. Because they vote the way they do , they insure their lucrative lobbying jobs after they leave Congress. I know I’m cynical, especially now, but I think what I’m saying is the truth. It’s depressing because there’s very little accountability or fairness or Karma.
This country is so divided now. It disgusts me how many men want to overturn abortion. Every single one who says that kind of makes me hate men slowly more and more everyday. How any man thinks he can tell a woman what to do with their body’s disgusts me. I say if they overturn abortion they should overturn allowing guns. They both kill “people” right? They unfortunately are too full of their white privilege to see the correlation. We’re killing babies they say, yet guns kill innocent people too. I’m to the point of where I want to leave the US. I feel defeated and slowly everyday this country turns more and more into a circus, a 1950s circus where women stayed at home in pearls and waiting for their husbands to get home. This is how they see us. We’re no more than sperm dumpsters who cook and raise children. We can never be done fighting because they just don’t f*cking get it.
I’m not familiar enough with the American law system, but can the Kavanaugh nomination actually result in the abolition of abortion right in the US ?
Yes …and the law has already been eroded in many states. Some states already, women can be charged if they attempt one on themselves. The red states in particularly are turning into a cesspool of anti women & racist laws.
Not exactly…repealing Roe will simply make abortion a state issue. As Isabelle said, there’s a lot of states already eroding reproductive rights, so there will definitely be some red states that will completely outlaw it. But will it become completely illegal in the entire United States? Probably not, as there will (hopefully) always be blue states like California that will uphold rights for women. Nonetheless, women will suffer and likely die, and we need to keep Roe on the books.
It’s poor, probably minority women that will suffer the most. They would lack the means to go to another state to get an abortion. I can’t imagine suffering through a pregnancy you do not want, or if you have a life or death of the mother situation. The most enraging thing is, that most of these arsehole men don’t give a shite about abortion, they just pander to the crazy evangelical wing who have taken over the Rep. party. These people are loathesome.
At least 4 states have prepared “trigger laws” to instantly revoke women’s access to reproductive healthcare in the event that Roe is overturned. Massachusetts has done the opposite. Women’s health with be protected there, with or without Roe.
But already, in many states, TRAP laws have made it near impossible for abortion providers/clinics to exist. They impose all kinds of ridiculous requirements for providers, and have effectively shut down most clinics in some states. It’s already impossible for many women to travel to far away clinics in their own states, and stay there for a few days through mandatory waiting periods. Seven states have only one abortion provider. 90% of all US counties have no abortion providers. It’s horrible and it’s going to get worse. I recommend checking out the Guttmacher Institute’s website to anyone who wants to learn more.
Thanks Isabelle, Rapunzel, Homeslice and Stumpycorgi for your answers. That kind of regression is truly horrifying, I can’t believe I’m seeing this in 2018…
Get ready for this now, Trump will soon fire Rosenstein after the Supreme Court victory. Then fire Sessions, what do you think ole Lindsey Graham was auditioning for, he wants that AG job. We are entering into them going into a streak of totalitarian rule breaking down the laws one by one. Please for the love of this country Vote November 6th.
The photo’s of his swearing in were interesting to look at – his stepford wife was doing her best to look smug but she was standing with her legs crossed, someone isn’t getting it at home. To me her body language was saying ‘while I’m pleased he’s been sworn in as my status has increased but I’m not letting him touch me again’.
I looked at the older daughter, and felt sorry for her. She looked sad to me. I bet she knows and hears everything that has gone on. Her peers wont’ let her forget it. But Daddy got the job he wanted so that is all that matters…
When they walked to the “interview” together, his wife looked as if she thought it was all over. She knows who he really is. I bet she’s surprised he got away with it all. And Amy Chua needs to be in hotter water for delivering “assistants with a certain look”.
also those assistants were then forwarded to justice roberts.
I didn’t like BK to begin with. But I tried to remain unbiased with the allegations. It wasn’t until the yearbook quotes came to light, and really more so the downright lies he gave about the meanings of his many lewd, & one slut shaming quote that made me despise him. Nothing worse than a liar. But those who support Republicans love liars.
For me, I knew BK wasn’t to be trusted once I heard he was in a frat that went around chanting “no means yes, yes means anal.” So gross.
Hang in there, all of us. I wrote and posted my own open letter to Dr. Ford last night to thank her. He might be Justice Kavanaugh now, but nothing undoes the good she did by getting into the room and speaking truth to power.
Remember that next time you’re afraid to speak up, and carry her courage with you. It’s the gift she gave us all.
There’s information online on where to send her a postcard of gratitude as well!
Oh, so great. Can you post a link?
Here you go: https://www.scarymommy.com/women-send-dr-christine-blasey-ford-postcards/
My dad was a Democratic politician and I was raised as a patriotic democrat. I have never voted for a Republican. I’ve donated, I’ve done GOTV calling, I know my local, state, and congressional office holders and they know me (I have known my congressman for over 30 years). I am so mad at the democratic party right now I can’t see straight. There are a few heroes on the judiciary committee – Chris Coons, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Amy Klobuchar who is a bad@ss – but the Senate leadership just “soiled” the bed. Schumer’s blaming Michael Avenatti now!! Hello!? How did we get here? Hillary Clinton’s dumb campaign management didn’t think they had to spend money in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and my forever president Barack Obama let McConnell bully him into not revealing the Russian interference.
Rant rant rant…
In my country last week some recordings of the Secretary of Justice were leaked and she talked about how some judges were in Colombia for some convention and she saw them go to brothels to have sex with minors so just imagine the kind of things the people in power do that we don’t even know. It’s not surpringing Kavanaugh got confirmed, probably some of then are the same kind of monsters.
This isn’t over. Vote in November. And, Kaiser, thanks for saying that. We can’t say it enough.
I’m going to vote in November. Although I don’t think it will change anything. The status quo remains just like they want it. Old white men with complete power. I am so tired of all these people and so angry. But on the other hand I’m almost at the point where I am completely cynical. I’m trying not to go over the edge. And sometimes as a black woman, I wonder what white people think of me when they see me. Are they racist or not? Do they care about minorities or not? Do they support trump and his minions? I know this sounds bad and I apologize. I don’t know what is going on with me. But ever since Trump was elected I have a hard time trusting white people. I know they aren’t all like him, of course not. But I am wary to be honest. And I don’t like this feeling at all. I care about all women, but I’m not sure they care about me. But that’s neither here nor there. Just something I wanted to get off my chest. Dr. Ford is a brave woman and I admire her courage. I only wish she got the justice that she deserved.
Sarah I can’t believe the position you and millions of other black women (and men) must be in right now. You must feel like you’re treading on very thin ice all the time and it must be so wearying and frustrating, not to mention frightening. What’s happening in the US is horrific beyond belief and I, as a Canadian, can only sit by and watch with an increasingly sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that around the next corner is a country overrun by total anarchy and fascism. My heartfelt sympathies are with you and all rational Americans who are at the mercy of a madman and his army of oligarchs.
Sarah,
As a white woman who voted against Trump and finding myself more and more appalled on a daily basis by his actions, and knowing where you might be starting from even before Trump was elected, I can’t imagine how difficult it is to trust any white people. I have difficulty trusting men right now, but it’s probably not 1/100 of what you are and have been dealing with all your life. And I’m sorry about that.
This is what I don’t get: Even if you reject the notion Kavanaugh is a sexual predator, HE LIED! OVER AND OVER AGAIN! And he spewed wackjob conspiracy theories, appeared to issue a threat and generally revealed himself to be a partisan loon.
How ANYONE could vote for him after that is beyond me. I wish I could ask one of the so-called moderates who voted for Kavanaugh about his temperament & “problem” with the truth. This guy has no business being on the Supreme Court. This isn’t a job at McDonalds. This is a lifetime appointment with enormous power and pressure. He is unfit. Period. End of story. And I’m sorry but you cannot convince me that those same pro Kavanaugh Senators would have been forgiving of a woman or person of color who behaved the way he did. No way in hell.
We need some serious reforms in DC (e.g., getting money out of politics/publicly funded elections perhaps? Banning members of Congress & their Aids from lobbying for at least 5 years after they leave?, etc) But that’s been true for a long time. However, the Trump era has brought a whole extra level of destruction to the situation and the GOP is complicit to it’s core. We’re in an emergency situation. Therefore the first thing we all need to do is vote Blue in November. Up and Down the ballot. The GOP needs to be cleaned out and start over again. If everyone was able to convince at least one non-voter to go to the polls we could start taking our country back from these greedy, lying and (frankly) unpatriotic* shitheads in the GOP
*I say unpatriotic because the one good thing about Trump is that he’s helped rip the mask off the majority of GOP Congressmen and women: It’s obvious now that most of them are only interested in preserving their power using any means necessary. They don’t care about the damage they’re wreaking on our norms, institutions & the populace as a whole. Absolutely disgusting.
That has angered me that his rightwing partisanship is never brought up when the Senators are questioned about their reason for voting yes. He clearly showed his bias. But they only want to say, “No corroboration.” As one of his acquaintances said, “The veil was ripped off.”
His behavior was completely unacceptable. This man went to one of the most prestigious univiersities in the world and has decades of experience, and he doesn’t know the least you can do when applying to a f***ing seat on the Supreme Court is keep composure and make solid arguments.
Leaving aside the fact he’s a rapist (which shouldn’t be left aside), Kavanaugh just demonstrated to be a damn awful lawyer who has no place in the highest court of the country.
I think the only silver lining on this is history will look down VERY harshly on the Republicans. They are rejoicing now, but political power is cyclical, and the moment they lose it they will have a very hard time gaining people’s trust back. It’s very clear now that they are not looking out for what they think is best for the nation – to them, this is nothing but a pissing contest they are too immature to afford losing.
I read an article that says he was told to ‘show how he feels’ by McGahn in a meeting they had after Dr Fords testimony. They were all scared sh!tless as she was a very very credible witness. This is the article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/us/politics/kavanaugh-vote-confirmation-process.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Interestingly the article also says that its was McConnell who was obsessed with pushing the Beer Baby through and that it was McGahn that actually recommended/pushed Kav to Trump as apparently Trump didn’t want a Bush judge on the SC. Seems McConnell and McGahn are the evil c@@ts behind this. Not sure how true this is as it is the NYT.
HIs name and reputation are now mud. His peers and beloved profession has turned on him and they have ALL come out and said that he is not fit to serve not only on the SC but on any court. His ‘performance’ cost him dearly, some comfort should be taken from that. The former Dean of Law at Harvard (who knew him) came out and said the same thing as everyone else – that as a partisan, paranoid and over emotional person he should not be allowed near a court at all and that he’s proven that he can’t and won’t be an impartial justice. Basically he said that he was a disgrace to the profession and his confirmation was a dark day for the US.
I broke down crying at my office desk on Friday afternoon after Collins’ forty minutes of self-aggrandizing nonsense. And I’m so angry about that to give them even that, my grief and my tears, but now I’m just angry. I contacted a few voting establishments and my local political organizations, and I’m moving beyond supporting them financially to having the ability to get more active. I will dedicate every waking moment of my life to making sure these people never see their way back into office if I can help it.
This white woman who was a registered Republican until 2016 (I still voted for both Clinton’s and Obama)
Is now a Democrat.
In June I voted blue for every single office including city and county.
In November I will be voting Blue right down the line even if someone has a chipmunk running for the seat.
I will never vote red again for anything.
It’s my hope that there are a lot more of me.
My situation is exactly the same as yours. Used to be a very moderate Republican, but am now a loud and proud Democrat. I am so disgusted by the Republican Party that I will NEVER vote for one again.
Thanks so much for this Kaiser. I thought of you when the decision went through — I hoped like you it might not pass, but I knew in my gut it would. Collins is a narcissist fully on board with the whole misogynistic, racist, hate-filled agenda, she just likes to wring points and attention for seeming to “think about it” before she goose steps in line with the others. I love too how they all said there was no corroborating evidence, after NOT allowing any of it into their “investigation.” Also, we are now IN a constitutional crisis on many fronts. For one, no sitting president in as much legal jeopardy as this one — Russia, tax evasion, campaign finance, assault, etc. — should be able to appoint a judge to the Supreme Court. LEAST of all a judge chosen precisely BECAUSE of his extreme views on presidential powers and protections from the law. Why are the legal scholars not saying more about this — anyone know?
What is dismaying is that I checked twitter after the confirmation yesterday and there was a lot of “Vote Dem up and down the ballot,” but then someone chimed in, “Or vote Third Party or something else.” How many of these MORONS are still out there?
Don’t trust in karma to make this right. Karma is a BS fairytale. I prefer Sarah Connor’s “no fate but what we make.” Fixing this will take actual work. Embrace that.
After avoiding the news since Friday, I’ve since been catching up on this sickening Kav situation. Then I ran errands all afternoon, hoping to feel a little better or at least be distracted. Instead, my day-to-day disgust with this administration has boiled over into something completely different with this turn of events. I am so grateful for CB and Kaiser and for all the commenters here. Hearing how you’re dealing with all of this unspeakable nonstop bs always helps me refocus my outrage into something more constructive. On Monday, I’m attending a meet/greet with my state’s Dem candidate for Congress. It the first time I’ve attended something like this—to meet and ask my congressional candidate questions and donate some money to her campaign in person. I just registered my husband to vote. We are ready to VOTE these jerks out of office!! I’m getting all William Wallace up in here!!!!
This feels to me almost like when Hillary lost the election. I was so deeply affected, I was in a funk for the longest time. I’m heartbroken about BK. I couldn’t watch tv I had to leave my home to go out and not think about it – hoping when I get back by some miracle he wouldn’t be confirmed. Only to get a ding on my phone – top story BK confirmed. Sad
Goodbye women’s reproductive rights. I’ll miss you.
Have there been any polls on whether or not this decision has changed people’s voting intentions?
Something massive will be revealed about the Republicans in the coming years. I just know it. There’s a huge mess they are hiding.
Sorry but African Americans feel this way every time a cop guns down a black person with NO repercussions, or a person of color is heavily sentenced. Personally, I felt this way as soon as Trump got elected. So nothing is surprising and I’ve been numb to it all. Welcome to the shitty club white women and decent white men!
This is so true. I think of myself as relatively empathetic but there is nothing quite like having a similar experience yourself.
Does this genuinely depress you like it does me. Honestly I just feel so low and angry and teary and helpless.