We begin today’s roundup with The New York Times and its editorial on the latest in the Brett Kavanaugh sexual assault allegation scandal and Kavanaugh’s denial:
As in the case of so many he-said/she-said scenarios, there’s much we don’t know and probably never will with certainty. But there are two things we do know.
First, there is no upside for women who come forward with stories of sexual harassment or assault, especially when the accused is a famous or powerful man. It doesn’t matter how credible the story is. Simply by telling it, a woman can expect to be pilloried in the press and suffer far worse on social media, if not in real life.
The second thing we know is that, while Dr. Blasey has not given the public any reason to doubt her credibility, the same can’t be said of Judge Kavanaugh, who hasgiven misleading or inaccurate testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee over the years. Is he telling the truth now when he says nothing happened?
Ryan Cooper at The Week:
Kavanaugh has denied the assault ever took place — which also bears directly on his morality and honesty right now. It is certainly possible he is right and Ford is lying or misremembering the event. But the very first public thing Kavanaugh did as a Supreme Court nominee was lie straight through his teeth, preposterously asserting that: "No president has ever consulted more widely or talked to more people from more backgrounds to seek input for a Supreme Court nomination."
At a minimum, this story deserves careful consideration at next week's hearing. But if the moral debauchery of the Republican Party is any guide, deceit is much more likely in the offing.