If you're Brett Kavanaugh or a member of his nomination team, it would certainly seem inappropriate for the Democrats to launch a last-minute accusation of "attempted rape" when Kavanaugh was 17, and the accuser can't determine when or where this supposed attack occurred. But on CNN Monday, AP Washington bureau chief Julie Pace put all the weight on the accuser's side. For anyone to question her timing is "pretty inappropriate."
CNN host Kate Bolduan asked if it's important that a lawyer for accuser Christine Blasey Ford attempted to explain that Sen. Dianne Feinstein sat on this accusation for two months because she was only following Ford's wishes:
JULIE PACE: But I do think that it hits on a really important element of this whole conversation. You know, yes, we're talking about a Supreme Court nomination. We're talking about a major political fight. But we're also talking about a woman who is grappling with what to do about a sexual allegation, a sexual misconduct allegation, and whether she should be out there publicly or not. And that's an incredibly sensitive and incredibly emotional decision to make. And you know, for people to be sort of casting doubt on the timing of this or to be sort of rendering judgment on how she proceeded, I think, is probably pretty inappropriate. This is, again, while we're in a big political moment, this is ultimately a really personal decision for this woman.
KATE BOLDUAN: Yes, and unfortunately, now wrapped up in a very big way in a very political moment.
Pace appeared again on CNN on Tuesday, and CNN's Poppy Harlow asked about Republicans putting out a supportive letter of 65 women who knew Kavanaugh in high school, and urging women to tweet with an "I Stand with Brett" hashtag. Pace dismissed that as easily "dwarfed" by Kavanaugh's accuser when she appears:
PACE: So they have to lean really heavily on the accounts of other women who have known Brett Kavanaugh. Again, I think it's an unknown how it's going to work because if we do end up in this hearing on Monday, you're going to have one very important woman who is going to be out there, this woman who has come forward and accused Brett Kavanaugh.And her testimony and how credible she is, I think will certainly dwarf any letters or other testimonials that come forward.
In the same segment, Harlow introduced clips of the 1991 hearings to "remind people" of "what was seen as the most insulting lines of questioning towards her." They aired a clip of Sen. Howell Heflin asking Anita Hill “Are you a scorned woman? Are you interested in writing a book?”
This was totally out of context, designed for gullible millennials with no memory of this spectacle. Heflin was a Democrat, and was trying to help Hill dispel “myths” like she would write a book. Pace agreed that in "today's context," this "would not go over well." How, in “today’s context,” do you play that clip and not mention Hill did exactly what she denied she would, and accepted a million-dollar advance for two books?
