Thread by @Hegemommy

Kavanaugh hearings start soon. As I said last night I'll tweet as I can.

A reminder. This is not a criminal trial no matter what the right says.

The committee room is coming to order. Grassley likes to start things on time so I expect we'll be gaveled to order real quick here

Grassley gavels the proceedings to order. Begins with a lecture on civility and apologies to both Ford and Kavanaugh for how they have been treated.

Says he wants the proceedings to be safe and comfortable for both witnesses

Grassley now giving a timeline of the Kavanaugh nominations and this is the point in the proceedings where Grassley gets indignant about how the the nomination has proceeded

Grassley says that in Kavanaugh's vetting the FBI found "not a whiff" of anything inappropriate in Kavanaugh's background.

Says Ford raised these allegations in a "secret letter"

Dr. Ford is sitting there listening to Grassley defend Kavanaugh with the strength I cannot even imagine

Grassley again talks about the "11th hour" allegations

Grassley says Feinstein mistreated Ford by not outing her or pushing forward with her own investigation.

Reminder Ford asked for confidentiality, has said it was her hope that the credible allegation would be enough to spark the Senators into action

Grassley suggests that Ford and Feinstein were not interesting in getting to the truth

Grassley says his staff interviewed witnesses like Judge under oath and they all clear Kavanaugh

Grassley says the Judiciary Committee conducted a "thorough" investigation of the allegations.

Grassley says the FBI doesn't do credibility assessments

Grassley says he's looking forward to a fair hearing and says there's no reason to complain about the GOP bringing in their own prosector but politics

Grassley is very sensitive about bringing in Rachel Mitchell

I know Mitchell has a Maricopa County connection but do we know if she's got ties to Kyl? Because he's been in charge of the Kavanaugh nomination.

Just asking.

Grassley mangles Ramirez's name.

This man can never pronounce a name that isn't white as mayo

Grassley notes that either Ford or Kavanaugh can request answering a question in a closed hearing so heads up on that we might be having some private conversations

Feinstein up now and immediately smacks down Grassley's nonsense about how Feinstein mistreat Ford by not outing her.

Feinstein then wishes Ford good morning. She introduces Ford since Grassley didn't

Feinstein opens her comments now with sexual assault statistics and examples of why women don't report attacks immediately, or if ever.

Feinstein notes that even though the #MeToo movement has brought forward many strong voices but that our institutions have not changed.

Feinstein now walking through how Grassley and the other Republicans scheduled today's hearing without investigation or even asking Ford how she would hope for things to proceed

Feinstein says Judge should be subpoenaed to provide testimony as a named eye witness

Any prosecutor would agree with this statement. I can't believe Mitchell, as a prosecutor, is okay without his testimony

"I'll listen to the lady"

That will never not make me rage

Ford is visibly upset hearing the other allegations against Kavanaugh

Feinstein going through Kavanaugh's narrative of him as a choir boy and how that's impeached Kavanaugh's credibility

The entire country is watching how we handle these allegations, Feinstein says.

This is about the integrity of the institution of the Supreme Court

This is not a trial of Dr. Ford. This is a job interview for Brett Kavanaugh, Feinstein says.

Is he the best we can do, she closes

Ford now stands and Grassley swears her in.

Ford says that after she reads her opening statement she anticipates needing some caffeine

She situates herself and begins reading her statement.

Ford's voice waivers reading her statement.

Ford's statement details what she remembers of her attack.

Ford's statement includes a part about how she wishes she could be more helpful in remembering details from that night.

Women. Still accommodating even when laying their trauma bear for all to see.

Ford is trying really hard not to cry.

So am I.

Ford is still detailing the night of her assault

Ford now pivots to the effect that night has had on her. She explains why she didn't tell her parents and how that because she wasn't raped, just almost, that she should just forget it and move on.

Ford now testifying about how she came to tell her husband about the attack and how even in therapy she wanted to try and ignore the details of her assault because it caused her to re-live her trauma

Ford's voice waivers again as she recounts her decision to approach Feinstein and the encrypted Washington Post tip line

Ford testifying about how she felt conflicted about coming forward and grappling with the decision to do so

Ford decided to come forward when it was clear her name would be public eventually anyways

Ford's voice waivers again describing the threats against her and her family.

Programming note I will be bouncing out in a little bit to go to Harvard Law School with @AngryBlackLady to talk to some students so there will be a programming break

Ford concludes her statement and asks for caffeine. Someone is getting her a Coke.

Now the 5 min round of questioning begins and Grassley says he'll give folks time so yeah it's going to be a long day

Grassley up first and hands his five minutes over to Mitchell.

Mitchell introduces herself and sets out some guidelines for the interview

These are basically questions lawyers ask in depositions and other types of witness examinations to make the record as clear as possible

Mitchell points Ford to five pieces of paper, exhibits in the hearing.

The first is a text correspondent with a Washington Post reporter.

The second is Feinstein's letter. Ford says she wrote it herself. Mitchell asking if she remembers when she wrote it

Ford reading letter to refresh her recollection and still trying to accommodate everyone. This is difficult to watch.

Ford goes through clarifications she would make on the letter.

Grassley's time expires so Mitchell ends now and Feinstein up

First question is about her process of disclosing throughout her life

Ford describing phobias and anxiety from the attack

Ford describing how she struggled academically in college after her assault and social difficulties in North Carolina.

She just described my first two years at UW Madison

Feinstein pivots to Ford's decision about coming forward to her office and confidentiality

Ford describing how reporters found her at her house and in her classes.

Clearly people knew my address because they were out in front of my house, Ford says

Okay I need to get myself to a car and on campus. I'll still be listening but tweeting will be difficult

Feinstein closes asking how she is sure it is Kavanaugh

Basic memory function, Ford responds

Feinstein's time is up so now it is Mitchell for Hatch

Goes back to the letter. Mitchell tried to trip up Ford suggesting she wanted to make corrections.

These aren't corrections, Ford says

I'm back! And so is Sen. Whitehouse

I'm only back for a little bit though because we're currently screening the hearing with a bunch of Harvard Law School students!

Whitehouse using his time to talk about the lack of investigation and leads Ford to testify that she wants an investigation even if it were to mean Kavanaugh get exonerated

Whitehouse made Grassley very angry so now Grassley is shouting about the investigation and he's so mad and now Klobuchar interrupts to note Bush re-opened the Thomas/Hill investigation.

Grassley mumbles his way into giving the mic to Mitchell

Okay I'm back for full-time coverage. Sen. Hirono up now and using her time to talk about Mitchell cross-examining Ford like this is a criminal proceeding

Hirono asks if there was a political reason for coming forward.

No Ford says, noting she had hoped the information got there while there were other candidates

Hirono says this hearing is about empowering abusers and I can't find the lie

Mitchell now up and wants to ask about the polygraph

Ford's attorneys step in to say they have paid for it

Mitchell wants to make the case that Ford is being subsidized

Mitchell trying really hard to impeach Ford on the timing of her allegations and raises the possibility that someone was asking around on her behalf

Ford's attorney raises an objection. You don't want her to guess.

Grassley gets to rule on objections because this is democracy in action or something

Mitchell now trying to get at the leak of the her letter to Feinstein and asks if she knows how it leaked

Nope, says Ford

Now it is Sen. Booker and he reminds everyone that it's not a courtroom even though the GOP hired a prosecutor

Booker using his time to narrate on rape culture

Booker pivots from rape culture to the unwillingness of Republicans to investigate Ford's claims thoroughly

Mitchell now questioning Ford on behalf of Sen. Tillis

Mitchell wants to know how Ford chose her attorneys

Ford testifies she asked friends and family in the DC area for recommendations and that Feinstein's offered some as well

Mitchell asks if Ford would be willing to submit to interviews with the FBI or Senate staffers

Absolutely, Ford testifies

Ford's attorneys state they are working pro bono to move this line of questioning on her costs along

Mitchell jumping around from topic to topic to try and trip Ford up

Ed Whelan's 'mistaken identity' theory comes up

Ford says she doesn't think it's appropriate to talk about since, you know, it's bananas and horrible [my take]

Sen. Harris up now and reiterates that Ford is not on trial.

Harris walking through the points of Ford's testimony that point toward credibility, relying on her experience as as someone who prosecuted sex assault cases

Harris laying out all the actions the FBI could have taken to investigate Ford's claims between when they were first made public till today

Uses Mitchell's office own best practices manual as an outline

Harris just thanked Ford and it made Ford cry.

Mitchell back up and wants to know which lawyer Feinstein's office recommended

Mitchell asks Ford about the statements Judge and others have made to Senate staffers not remembering the evening

Mitchell wants to talk about the way trauma-informed interviews should happen, jokes the Senate proceedings are not it

Grassley wants to put Judge's [and others] sworn statements into the record. Blumenthal objects to them being in the record without Senators having the opportunity to question the witnesses

45 min recess as Dr. Ford's testimony comes to a close

The shot I just saw of Kavanaugh walking into the hearing was basically a perp walk

Grassley swears Kavanaugh in

He sits and begins his opening statement. He looks tired and sounds defiant.

Kavanaugh is almost shouting

Kavanaugh said he demanded a hearing the very next day and says it took the committee "ten long days" to get one scheduled.

He sounds exactly like Trump.

These were Trump's talking points last night

Kavanaugh says the witnesses will clear his name.

Maybe let them testify then 🤷🏻‍♀️

Apropos of nothing the restaurant/bar @AngryBlackLady and I posted up at is blasting Cher

Kavanaugh is the real victim here, he says

Remember that Kavanaugh has been described as aggressive when drunk.

There are real flashes of anger here

His body language is .... not great

O MY GOD now it's Sonic Youth at the bar and yessssssss I am here for it

Kavanaugh calls the allegations a conspiracy and a political hit and revenge on behalf of the Clintons

Yeah let's put him on the Supreme Court for life huh

I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process, Kavanaugh says

There's a coordinated and well-funded effort to smear his name says the man backed by the Judicial Crisis Network to the tune of tens of millions of dollars

Kavanaugh knows sex assault is terrible because he knows someone who was assaulted

Due process is applicable when there's a possible depravation of a constitutional right.

Kavanaugh does not have a constitutional right to a promotion to the Supreme Court.

This is a job interview

Kavanaugh using the women in his life as human shields right now

Kavanaugh sincerely parroting basically everything Trump said about this nomination

Kavanaugh pauses and starts to cry.

I'm sure this really is terrible for him. He thought this was a sure bet for him.

Kavanaugh detailing all the time in public office that was under intense political scrutiny, his records of which Republicans will not let the American public see

This is a good time to say that while yes this is absolutely about Dr. Ford's allegations, this hearing is also about how the Republicans writ large have refused transparency with this nomination

Kavanaugh reiterates that he and Ford "did not travel in the same social circles"

Both Trump and Kavanaugh dismiss their accusers by effectively saying "I don't mix with those folks"

Kavanaugh now addresses his calendars and is telling Christmas stories

Kavanaugh testifies he didn't put the assault in his calendar

Invoking high school football culture as an alibi is maybe not the best idea dunno

For me, going to church on Sundays is like brushing my teeth. Automatic. Still is, Kavanaugh says

We are on the fifth point of rebuttal by Kavanaugh which is "I've always had a lot of close female friends"

I'm not talking about girlfriends, Kavanaugh says

Kavanaugh now talks about how much he loves drinking beer and how it's totally different than sexual assault

If everyone in high school who drank beer in this country is accused of sexual assault we'll be in a dark place in this country, Kavanaugh says

How is this real life

Kavanaugh now apologizes for his high school yearbook and as a high school journalist I can actually sympathize a bit

Now we're talking about Kavanaugh's virginity again which I ordered mozzarella sticks

I would rather not with all of this part of the programming

He's still talking too wow

Kavanaugh invoking Title IX and all the women who have benefited from it, tearing up at the possibility he won't be put on the bench to gut it.

Kavanaugh testifying how the legal profession is more fair and equal to women because of him

The idea that Kavanaugh has hired a lot of women law clerks only looks creepy in light of these allegations

Kavanaugh implying that he'll be out of a career if these allegations succeed.

If but we lived in a world where abusers were held to that kind of standard.

Kavanaugh thanks god for his family and returns to the theme of due process

Says if he's not confirmed it will be an abuse of process, basically

Mitchell now to start questioning Kavanaugh.

Let's see if she cross-examines him too

Mitchell opens with the same ground rules for witnesses. This is standard.

Mitchell has him review a definition of sexual behavior that she will then question him on

Kavanaugh is taking his time

Definition is broader than intercourse, doesn't have to be sexually motivated

Asks Kavanaugh if he understands that definition. He says he does.

Mitchell asking Kavanaugh about the other named folks at the party. Says he knew them. Gets emotional about Judge.

Now Feinstein up. Brings up the other allegations and investigations

Your concern is evident and clear, Feinstein says. Why aren't you also asking?

Kavanaugh says he'll do whatever the committee decides

Which will be nothing with Republicans in control of the Judiciary

Mitchell now up again and questions him about high school drinking.

I like beer, I still like beer, Kavanaugh says.

He's real mad, too

Kavanaugh says he has never passed out from drinking. I've gone to sleep he says, but I've never blacked out.

My theory is that Kavanaugh just has to come off as a passable human being and Republicans will feel they have cover to vote yes on his nomination now

Kavanaugh giving specific denials to Ford's allegations

Quick break for Kavanaugh

Kavanaugh had a rough opening round in my opinion. His visible anger did nothing but corroborate the descriptions of him when drunk.

Kavanaugh hearings beginning again with Leahy up first

Bah I jut got a phone call rude

If Leahy got Kavanaugh this angry imagine what Harris is gonna do

Leahy closes by noting that Kavanaugh filibustered every question asked.

Mitchell back up now. We're back on the calendar

Mitchell has Kavanaugh identify some of the names listed on the calendar.

Asks if Kavanaugh would have documented the party described by Ford.

Kavanaugh says yes.

Mitchell asks Kavanaugh if he's aware that Maryland has no statute of limitations and the possibility Kavanaugh could still be charged.

He says he is aware of that and hasn't been contacted by law enforcement

Mitchell asks if Kavanaugh has ever been accused of sexually inappropriate conduct ever and he says no.

Mitchell asks how many times he's spoken to the committee about the assault allegations. Kavanaugh can't recall how many times since he's been interviewed

SO lets see his calendar!

Now Durbin is up. Wants Kavanaugh to commit to an FBI allegation given his strong denials of the allegations

Durbin asks Kavanaugh to turn to McGahn and have him suspend the nomination until there's an investigation to clear his name

Grassley interrupts and requests the clock to stop. He's very angry at the idea that anyone other than Grassley is in charge.

Also did he just contradict Kavanaugh's statements that he demanded a hearing immediately?

I'm innocent of this charge! Kavanaugh cries.

You can't have it both ways, Durbin says.

This thing was sprung on me but staff, Kavanaugh says.

He's getting real angry

Now Sen. Graham wants the floor but first Grassley tells Durbin that if he wants an FBI report just ask for one!

Graham now talking about Schumer immediately opposing his nomination

When you see Sotomayor and Kagan tell them Lyndsey says hello

Are you a gang rapist he asks, now?

Graham says Democrats had no intention of protecting Dr. Ford

Toad the Wet Sprocket comes on the radio now because nothing is weird enough anymore

Now Sen. Whitehouse is up.

We're back to the yearbook

Have at it, Kavanaugh says about questioning him on his yearbook

Almost all the high achievers in my high school drank a whole bunch too

What do you like to drink, Senator Kavanaugh spits to Whitehouse

Now we're talking about high school drinking games which reminds me of the drinking game "asshole" we played the night I was assaulted

Now Cornyn is up and compares this hearing to the McCarthy hearings

I mean it's interesting to me that the men are just fine rehabilitating Kavanaugh here.

Cornyn says this isn't a job interview because he's been accused of a crime.

He knows better but he doesn't care.

Cornyn says the accusers should come forward with some evidence.....

Programming note that the administration is parroting these lines with their proposed changes to Title IX regs on campus sex assault

The rhetorical patting on the head of Dr. Ford by the GOP on the idea that "maybe sure someone somewhere assaulted her" is pretty gross even by their standards

Klobuchar now up and asks Kavanaugh why he won't call for Trump to re-open the investigation.

Kavanaugh says he respects AKlo

She says that's nice but answer my question please

I'm here to answer questions about my yearbook or sports, Kavanaugh says

Klobuchar mentions her dad's alcoholism here and Kavanaugh interrupts her to bat down any suggestion he has a drinking problem.

That's honestly kind of sad

Kavanaugh insists he's never drank so much he didn't remember the night before.

Kavanaugh looks at Klobuchar: have you?

I have no drinking problem, Judge Klobuchar closes

That was pretty brutal tbh

Grassley is now shouting about his onion belt or something

Clouds, maybe

Grassley gavels out a fifteen minute break and Nirvana is on the background here because it's only going to get weirder

Who wants to take bets on whether Mitchell comes back to ask Kavanaugh any more questions

Ugh I guess we have to start with Sen. Hatch now yelling about 'porn star lawyers'

The fact that Hatch and other Republican Senators are questioning Kavanaugh instead of the prosecutor they hired says EVERYTHING about what they think of this process

Now Sen. Coons is up. Notes this is about assessing Kavanaugh's credibility and reminds him of his prior testimony of being a judge who believes in the rule of law

Coons goes back to Kavanaugh's drinking and whether or not he's a mean drunk

Dr. Ford could face a prosecutor.

Kavanaugh cannot

Coons asks for just a week pause on the proceedings.

Kavanaugh says the witnesses said it didn't happen so there's no need for a pause.

Grassley can't stop yelling at clouds

Aaaaand its Sen. Lee

He's going to do his best friendly prosecutor cosplay right here mark my word

I still have questions about Mike Lee's hair when I can raise them

It is really important to note that by having the Republican Senators question Kavanaugh and NOT Mitchell, Kavanaugh is not being subjected to the same "due process" as Ford

Republicans are giving Kavanaugh special treatment

Sen. Sasse is up now and we'll probably get a civics lecture

Actually I was wrong! No civics lecture just finger waggling for not disclosing Ford's identity or allegations

Sen. Blumenthal up now

Blumenthal is correcting Kavanaugh on Judge's statement.

It's not a sworn statement is it, Blumenthal says

Kavanaugh stammers.

The statement was submitted by Judge's attorney. A couple paragraphs

Blumenthal now asking Kavanaugh about his claims that the attacks against him are revenge for a Hillary Clinton loss

Blumenthal now pivots to Kavanaugh's statements about being at Yale and coming back to campus drunk and falling out of the party bus

Kavanaugh keeps trying to filibuster Blumenthal

Blumenthal says the quote where Kavanaugh said he had to "piece things back together" from the night before

Kavanaugh gets real defensive here.

Blumenthal closes by asking Kavanaugh if he believes Anita Hill

Grassley gavels Blumenthal to a close

Sen Crapo, the most accurately named man in the Senate, is asking questions now

Crapo filibustering about all the investigating the Republicans have done on these allegations

Grassley gavels a five minute break

We're back with Sen Hirono to bring some heat

Hirono turns to Kavanaugh statements that the Democrats were an "embarrassment" during this process

Which questions are an embarrassment, Hirono asks

Hirono not letting Kavanaugh filibuster her questions

You weren't a sloppy drunk and your roommate was lying, okay then

Hirono now basically

Sen Tillis up now to scold the Democrats about not blowing Dr. Ford's confidentiality as soon as they could

Tillis is yelling and gets dangerously close to

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH to the Democrats

Tillis says that Kavanaugh is a victim of dark money attacks without a hint of irony or mention of the Judicial Crisis Network

Tillis is about to demand the Democrats drop and give him 20

Tillis says that if these allegations had merit they'd be subject to the criminal process.

Booker now up. Asks immediately about the amount of drinking Kavanaugh did

You drank on weekdays yes or no

Kavanaugh filibusters

oh my god of course Kavanaugh calendared drinking as "skis" as in "brewskis"

Brett Kavanaugh still wears cargo shorts

#notallcargoshorts

Booker asks Kavanaugh directly if Ford is in this for political gain and Kavanaugh #bothsides do it

Sen. Cruz is up now and I again re-up my request for a protester to dress up as Beto and skateboard through right now

Feinstein now responds directly to allegations that she kept Ford's story confidential for political purposes.

People do not report assault for personal gain.

Feinstein directly rebuts the idea she or her staff leaked

I kept it confidential and I get criticized for that too! she says

Feinstein said the letter wasn't leaked. Her *story* was and that's what WaPo reported on

FINALLY SEN HARRIS

Asks if he's taken a polygraph related to these allegations

Nope says Kavanaugh

Harris wants a specific answer to her question of whether Kavanaugh will ask the White House to have the FBI investigate to clear his name

Kavanaugh won't answer and wants to filibuster

"I'm going to take that as a no and we can move on," says Harris

Turns to the conspiracy theory that this is a political hit.

Brings up the Gorsuch nomination and how it was so much less rapey

Kavanaugh can't explain the difference just says look at the calendars where he didn't mark his assaults on the regular

Kavanaugh exaggerates just like Trump. It's pathological

Did you watch Dr Ford's testimony, Harris asks

I planned to but I did not, I was preparing mine, says Kavanaugh

Now Sen. Flake is up to offer gravitas worth about 1lb of bellybutton lint

Now Sen. Kennedy is up with what I'm guessing is a procedural question probably

NOPE! Kennedy asks Kavanaugh if he believes in God

I'm going to give you one last opportunity before God and country. Look me in the eye. Are Dr. Ford's allegations true?

They are not true to me, Kavanaugh says

Grassley quickly gavels the hearing adjourned.

I have to pee, record a podcast, and write something. Check y'all on the flip side