With the FBI investigation of the dubious sexual assault allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh concluded without corroborating evidence, the liberal media have grown desperate in the vicious attacks against him. The angry fit host Chris Cuomo threw during his PrimeTime CNN program demonstrated the liberal media’s frantic desperation.
Cuomo began his Closing Argument segment with a bitter, indignant attitude directed at the Supreme Court nominee for publishing an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal defending himself and how he acted during the hearing last week. “We’ve never seen such an overtly political play by a nominee, let alone one who's fighting back criticism that he is too political. But here we are steeped in irony and animosity,” Cuomo spat.
“He says his past ‘has been ridiculously distorted.’ Yeah. But by whom is the question. He chose to mislead about what he wrote in high school and college,” Cuomo proclaimed. He decried how Kavanaugh went to “the most partisan media outlet” Fox News to defend himself and suggested that Kavanaugh portrayed himself as a choir boy. “He's the one who decided to paint the perfect picture of himself. No one did that to him.”
But that was a lie. Liberal media types like Cuomo were the ones distorting Kavanaugh’s past. On many occasions, Cuomo and his CNN pal Don Lemon had pushed debunked claims Kavanaugh was framing himself as a “choir boy.” In both the Judge’s interview with Fox News and his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, he admitted that he drank heavily in his youth and did stupid things. That is fact.
Kavanaugh’s contention was that he never got “blackout drunk,” a huge difference. And no matter how many of Kavanaugh’s former Yale classmates told CNN that he “lied” about drinking a lot, it doesn’t change the fact that he did admit it and he’s the only one that would know if he “blacked out.”
Cuomo and Lemon spent a lot of time tearing down Kavanaugh for what they described as lies about his high school years. So when he said, “now, again, I don't care about what he did in high school except for the allegations from Ms. Ford,” he clearly was being disingenuous.
“I don't care about his drinking. From what I've heard, sounds like what many if not most in college are prone to: Excess. I was. I was at the same school in the same bars. And you know what? I fought a lot more than he did. But I own it. I'm flawed. I was and I am. I did stupid things. My life was never just about books and church and charity. And neither was his,” Cuomo angrily shouted.
Again, he was lying about what was actually said. But unlike Kavanaugh, Cuomo hadn’t seemed to have grown out of that stage of life. Just over two years ago, Cuomo was caught “boozing before [a] drag race” that ended in a crash. “CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was boozing at his wife’s swanky magazine party in Southampton before he crashed his classic convertible into a parked SUV during a drag race,” the New York Post reported. The paper also noted that friends got him away from the crash scene “fast.”
Cuomo and Lemon had spent many nights lambasting Kavanaugh for “lying” about “the Devil’s triangle” being a drinking game and not a sexual activity. But there was no mention of that Thursday night because some of Kavanaugh’s high school friends had come forward and set the record straight, something Cuomo seemed incapable of doing.
Towards the end of his tirade, and despite admitting there was no corroborating evidence, Cuomo appeared to suggest Kavanaugh was guilty. “When you're innocent, poise, calm in the face of criticism reflects your power of belief. Losing control suggests something incriminating. Kavanaugh is who he was in that hearing for better or worse,” he said.
“Maya Angelou gave us the best advice in these matters: ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. How will the Senators interpret that wisdom here,” he pompously concluded. But he’s right. Kavanaugh showed who he was the first time he was vetted for a federal court appointment. He showed who he was through the first six FBI background checks. And he showed who he was through the first round of hearings.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN's Cuomo Prime Time
October 4, 2018
9:54 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: Judge Brett Kavanaugh just wrote an op-ed arguing to you that he is a good choice for the Supreme Court. It's in the Wall Street Journal. We’ve never seen such an overtly political play by a nominee, let alone one who's fighting back criticism that he is too political. But here we are steeped in irony and animosity. But let's do this. Let's look at his own words and assess. The top is a reminder of devotion to family and country and his pride at being selected.
He says his past “has been ridiculously distorted”. Yeah. But by whom is the question. He chose to mislead about what he wrote in high school and college. He decided to make another political move and go to the most partisan media outlet, Fox, to sit across from a friendly face and say this.
BRETT KAVANAUGH: When I was in high school, and I went to an all-boys Catholic high school, a Jesuit high school, where I was focused on academics and athletics, going to church every Sunday at Little Flower, working on my service projects and friendship. Friendship with my fellow classmates and friendships with girls from the local all-girls Catholic schools.
CUOMO: He's the one who decided to paint the perfect picture of himself. No one did that to him. He then says he was forceful and passionate during the hearing. This is what he calls forceful and passionate.
KAVANAUGH: This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups.
CUOMO: And this.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: You're saying there's never been a case where you drank so much you that didn't remember what happened the night before or part of what happened?
KAVANAUGH: You're asking about blackout -- I don't know. Have you?
KLOBUCHAR: Could you answer the question, Judge? Just -- so that's not happened? Is that your answer?
KAVANAUGH: Yeah, and I'm curious if you have.
KLOBUCHAR: I have no drinking problem, Judge.
KAVANAUGH: Nor do I.
CUOMO: That's independent and impartial? That's apolitical? Of course, Trump liked his performance. Kavanaugh was bombastic and beneath the dignity of the station, signature Trump traits. He says he was there as a son and husband and father and that what you saw is him testifying with his family in mind. So ask yourself, that's how he decided to represent himself in front of them? By being petulant and combative and rude? He admits he was, quote, "Too emotional at times" and “said a few things I should not have said."
Now, there's a problem with his contrition. He didn't just fly off the handle. Those were prepared remarks. I disagree with former A.G. Mukasey. He said he didn't hear her testimony. So how was he responding to it while he drafted his remarks? They were thought out. He also had set answers about the yearbook and how to sanitize his past. He was measured when he answered those questions. He wasn't just going off the top of his head.
Now, again, I don't care about what he did in high school except for the allegations from Ms. Ford. I don't care about his drinking. From what I've heard, sounds like what many if not most in college are prone to: Excess. I was. I was at the same school in the same bars. And you know what? I fought a lot more than he did. But I own it. I'm flawed. I was and I am. I did stupid things. My life was never just about books and church and charity. And neither was his! All that time he was out f-f-f-f-fooling around with his buddies. We know what that means, and it doesn't mean what he says it means.
So, separating out the serious allegations, the problem is not the behavior. It is the denial of the same. The most telling phrase I would suggest is: "I have been known for my courtesy on and off the bench. I have not changed." He has been known that way and also as a rabid righty, an attack dog, and a hothead. And he has not changed based on that testimony.
Two points. When you're innocent, poise, calm in the face of criticism reflects your power of belief. Losing control suggests something incriminating. Kavanaugh is who he was in that hearing for better or worse. Does he have the pedigree? Yes. The record of decisions? Yes, if you favor conservative rulings. Did he do what his accusers say? We don't know. In fairness to Kavanaugh, there is no overwhelming proof outside the accusers. But that must be corroborated, and we haven't seen corroboration. We also haven't seen what the FBI has, and we don't know that they looked at what they could have.
Then there is the pressing question. Does he have the temperament? He says he is independent and impartial. Maya Angelou gave us the best advice in these matters: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” How will the Senators interpret that wisdom here? We will see. That's for us tonight. Thank you for watching.
