September 19, 2018
By: Linda Case Gibbons, Esq.
It's a tactic that sells big time on college campuses today.
Bashing white men.
But it didn't work at this year's Emmys.
Saturday Night co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che, along with others, managed to single-handedly lose a million viewers.
There were a lot of jokes, but not much laughter that night.
Not when comedian Andy Samberg was kicked offstage after he asked to be included in a "Diversity" musical number, "Even though," he said, "I am a straight, white male."
Or when African American Michael Che delivered the leg-slapper:
"My mother's not watching tonight. She says she doesn't like watching white award shows because you guys don't thank Jesus enough. The only white people that thank Jesus are Republicans and ex-crackheads."
The jokes fell flat.
So it was a relief this week when something went right for Liberals.
Last Wednesday Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) unearthed a letter which accused Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.
No. She didn't bring it up during the four days of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, even though she had the letter since July. And even though the FBI found no evidence of the alleged assault after six investigations into Kavanaugh's background.
Prof. Christine Blasey Ford, who uses Blasey as her professional name, alleges Judge Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party in the 1980's.
When she and Kavanaugh were in high school.
At separate schools.
But says she's fuzzy on the details of when and where the assault occurred.
At first Blasey, a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University, wanted to remain anonymous.
Until this past weekend when she granted The Washington Post an interview.
She said she would testify publicly before the Judiciary Committee.
Until today when she decided she didn't want to.
She, her attorney, Debra Katz, and Sen. Feinstein are insisting the FBI must investigate before she will testify anywhere.
But the FBI doesn't want to.
It's not a federal crime, the agency says. It is an unsubstantiated claim which occurred 36 years ago. And there is a statute of limitations.
"This is a political issue, not a law enforcement one," a source at the FBI said.
So it was lucky for all of us that Feinstein put aside charges that her chauffer/aide of 20 years was a Chinese spy, and decided to tackle this problem. Before Feinstein intervened, we thought Kavanaugh was "Mr. Nice Guy."
A man who serves food to the homeless in D.C. Who tutors low-income students for free. And coaches his daughters' basketball teams.
After Feinstein produced Blasey's letter, only days before the vote to confirm Kavanaugh, confirmation proceedings ground to a halt. And will probably stay that way.
Feinstein issued a statement saying the Senate should respect Blasey's wishes and "delay this hearing."
Until when? After the mid-terms?
Of course, it would be folly to accuse Feinstein and Democrats of anything devious. Like stalling.
Or of "finding" a woman who is a Democrat. Who signed a petition in opposition to the president separating children from their illegal immigrant mothers. And who participated in an anti-Trump Women's March.
Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) admits it is difficult to proceed without facts.
"The only information I have is from the media," he stated. And he again offered Prof. Blasey the opportunity to testify, publicly or behind closed doors, as the only way to gain any information. At all.
"Republicans extended a hand in good faith," Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said. "If we don't hear from both sides on Monday, let's vote."
In the meanwhile, 65 women have come forward to support the judge.
They say they knew Brett Kavanaugh for more than 35 years, including his years at Georgetown Preparatory School.
They wrote to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa): "For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect.That was true when he was in high school, and it has remained true to this day."
But Brett Kavanaugh is in a tough spot. He's a White Guy in a White Guy Bashing world.
And he was nominated by a White Guy named Trump.
Hold the line, America.
Where We Go One, We Go All