Share
Commentary

Juanita Broaddrick Teaches Feinstein a Lesson After Senator Attacks GOP Over Kavanaugh

Share

In any just universe, Sen. Dianne Feinstein would be stepping down as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

If the letter sent by Christine Blasey Ford accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault is true, the fact that the California Democrat sat on it since July and tendered it to Washington officialdom only when it became clear there was no other way to stop the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has infinitely devalued Ford’s claims in particular and victimized women in general.

If it’s false — and that possibility has to be taken into consideration when you consider Ford’s account seems so vague on the details as to be almost deliberately hazy — then Feinstein has done irreparable damage to the career of an esteemed jurist in the name of scoring political points. And victimized women certainly don’t benefit from false allegations being used as political instruments.

Either way, Feinstein should be apologizing and stepping down. Instead, she’s doubling down, because it’s 2018 and that’s how these things work:

Trending:
Hillary Clinton Jumps Into Trump 'Bloodbath' Frenzy with a Question, Doesn't Want to Hear the Answers

Now, nobody agrees with death threats and abuse, but a) that doesn’t make the assault claim any more true and b) Feinstein played a massive role in the inexorable outing of this “brave woman,” an outing that was designed solely to kill the nomination of Kavanaugh or any other Trump Supreme Court nominee before the November midterms.

Then, of course, she brought up Anita Hill’s allegation against Clarence Thomas, something that’s being used as a lodestar for Democrats in the current moment:

“In 1991, the FBI reopened a background investigation. Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas were interviewed,” Feinstein tweeted. “Every day more people came forward claiming firsthand knowledge of the events. It’s time for the FBI to do the same today. Why are Republicans resisting an investigation?”

Juanita Broaddrick, the Arkansas woman who says Bill Clinton raped her in a Little Rock hotel room in 1978, had something to say about that:

As Broaddrick noted, back almost 20 years ago, the California Democrat “refused to read my deposition for the independent counsel, along with ALL Democrats.”

“Your vote had already been decided before testimony. SHAME ON YOU,” she wrote.

And she had done mining that vein.

Related:
Hillary Clinton Jumps Into Trump 'Bloodbath' Frenzy with a Question, Doesn't Want to Hear the Answers

In addition to having witnesses in whom she confided at the time of the alleged 1978 rape, Broaddrick also remembers pertinent details — time, place, what happened afterward — that Kavanaugh’s accuser is pretty foggy on. Just thought I’d throw that in there.

Do you think Dianne Feinstein should resign her position on the Judiciary Committee?

And, let’s keep in mind, Broaddrick wanted to be heard. In fact, when she was interviewed by NBC in January 1999 during Clinton’s impeachment trial in the Senate (the House impeached him in December 1998), the interview was delayed until after the Senate voted — and acquitted the then-president.

Why would a network — sitting on a goldmine of an interview — delay airing it until after the actual vote? One possible explanation springs to mind, but that’s neither here nor there.

Christine Blasey Ford, meanwhile, seems to be rather ambiguous about whether she wants to be heard, either before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington or anywhere else. Her latest vacillation over the testimony apparently involves her fear of flying. That’s not a joke:

If she’s not willing to testify, however, Broaddrick is.

Something tells me Dianne Feinstein isn’t going to be terribly interested. After all, some women matter less than others to the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. All of them are eventually disposable.

If Sen. Feinstein wants us to take this case seriously, it’s time for her to step aside and apologize to the American people for how she handled this case. The fact that this incident has only empowered her rhetorically should tell you all you need to know about the motives of the senior senator from California.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , ,
Share
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
Birthplace
Morristown, New Jersey
Education
Catholic University of America
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Topics of Expertise
American Politics, World Politics, Culture




Conversation