| | | | | Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 6. Credit: Sarah Silbiger/CQ Roll Call | | | Kavanaugh Bombshell: The woman accusing him of assault is willing to testify, and some Repubs on the Hill are willing to delay a vote
The Anita Hill Parallel: The similarities are eerie
Democracy is in Crisis, Hillary Says: Hillary Clinton writes in op-ed that she "doesn't use the word crisis lightly" | | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump today gets a briefing on the damage caused by Hurricane Florence. Later he participates in a meeting for the National Council for the American Worker. This evening he will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at a White House reception. And, finally, he heads to a fundraising dinner tonight.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
The status of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings in the wake of bombshell news about a woman who claims she was assaulted by the Supreme Court nominee when the two were high schoolers. There are rumors of a White House briefing, but nothing is on the schedule as yet.
Woman's Lawyer Says She Will Cooperate:
The lawyer for Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Kavanaugh of assault, said this morning in various television interviews that Ford would testify in a deeper investigation of her allegations to determine whether Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court should reach a vote or be postponed. If you want to get caught up, I'd encourage you to read Ford's letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein about the incident, which explains how she reached the difficult decision to come forward.
Kavanaugh Statement, Not Backing Down:
This morning, from the White House, Kavanaugh released this statement to the press pool: "This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes—to her or to anyone. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity."
The Anita Hill Parallel:
I'm old enough to remember the Anita Hill era, when she came forward to testify about the character of Supreme Court nominee -- now Justice -- Clarence Thomas. The similarities between that and Ford and Kavanaugh are enough to be eerie. Only now, this is happening in the era of doxxing and social media and in a political climate so divisive it's hard to comprehend what the decision to come forward must be like for Ford and her family. This Joan Biskupic history lesson on Hill and Thomas is worth your time today, in my opinion. Here's a snippet: "Twenty-seven years ago, Thomas, the choice of Republican President George H.W. Bush, ended up being confirmed 52-48 in the closest Supreme Court confirmation vote in more than a century, and with the help of 11 Democrats. It is impossible to imagine that kind of bipartisanship for a high court nominee today."
Trump's Feelings on the Matter:
According to Kellyanne Conway, who says she spoke directly to the president about the Kavanaugh situation and Ford's accusations, the president feels: "She should not be ignored or insulted. She should be heard." However, as the Kavanaugh drama unfolds, and as the nominee himself prepares for a possible showdown before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Trump's mind is apparently elsewhere, tweeting about his favorite topic -- the "witch hunt."
Oh, and Trump also typed the words, "and texted to his lover," in this gem of a tweet, which went out while Kavanaugh was actually at the White House.
School Head Weighs In:
I thought this was interesting. The head of Holton-Arms, the private school in Bethesda, Maryland, that Ford attended when the alleged assault took place, and which still operates as an all-girls' school today, issued a statement of support for Ford: | | Credit: @mj_lee/Twitter
And So Does Donald Trump Jr.:
I think we should juxtapose that statement with the Instagram post Donald Trump Jr. posted in the wake of Ford's accusation against Kavanaugh. It contained this caption: "Oh boy... the Dems and their usual nonsense games really have him on the ropes now. Finestein had the letter in July and saved it for the eve of his vote... honorable as always. I believe this is a copy for full transparency. 🤣🇺🇸🤣🇺🇸🤣 #politics #maga" | | Credit: @donaldtrumpjr/Instagram
To understand (and I use that term loosely) Donald Trump Jr., I suggest you read Betsy Klein's excellent deep dive on him and his frequent, no-holds-barred defenses of his dad. It's worth noting Trump Jr. also liked a tweet by conservative actor James Woods, which has now been deleted, but here's a screenshot. So it's pretty clear how the president's son feels about the #MeToo movement, just saying.
A New-But-Not-New Name for President in 2020:
Guys, Michael Bloomberg, who is 76, is thinking about running for president as a Democrat. He used to be a Republican. Bloomberg has explored a run in the past, but as an Independent. Whatever works, I guess. Read this New York Times piece about Bloomberg and his feelings on the #MeToo movement (specifically that cad Charlie Rose), and some other stuff, and see what you think.
Nutty Hollywood Fight Leads Back to ... Trump:
Actor Tom Arnold and TV producer Mark Burnett walk into an Emmy party...stop me if you've heard this one...and immediately get into a physical altercation about the existence of allegedly damning tapes of Trump from "The Apprentice." Can't make it up, kids, because it actually happened. | | What Washington is Talking About:
An easy confirmation for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is now in doubt after the woman who accused him sexual assault when they were both high school students, Christine Blasey Ford, has come forward publicly. Republicans Sens. Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, and Lisa Murkowski have all said they're open to delaying a vote on Kavanaugh.
What America is Talking About:
At least 18 have died in Hurricane Florence and some areas have received up to 40 inches of rain; Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and his wife Lynne Benioff have purchased Time magazine for $190 million; and "Game of Thrones" is a frontrunner at tonight's Emmys with 22 nominations.
Poll of the Day:
A Marist-NPR poll out this morning found widespread concerns over the integrity of voting in the midterms. More than half of American adults believe it is "very likely" or "likely" that people who aren't eligible to vote will vote and that Russia will use social media to spread false information about candidates. And 34% believe American election officials will tamper with votes to change the results. 😳 | | Credit: Marist
Democracy is in Crisis, Clinton Says:
Hillary Clinton published an op-ed last night in The Atlantic, headlined "American Democracy Is In Crisis," in which she accused President Trump of assaulting American democracy through his denials of Russia's online misinformation efforts, false and misleading statements, corruption, and lack of transparency.
"I don't use the word crisis lightly," she wrote. "There are no tanks in the streets. The administration's malevolence may be constrained on some fronts -- for now -- by its incompetence. But our democratic institutions and traditions are under siege. We need to do everything we can to fight back. There's not a moment to lose." | | Credit: The Atlantic
Clinton also called for some Trump-inspired reforms, including abolishing the Electoral College and requiring presidents and presidential candidates to release their tax returns. Although much of what Clinton wrote isn't particularly surprising, the op-ed still made me go wow because it's not exactly common for the loser of a presidential election to be this critical of the guy who won.
The Atlantic endorsed Clinton in 2016, only the third presidential endorsement in their history. Their first was Abraham Lincoln in 1860, followed by Lyndon Johnson in 1964, over Barry Goldwater.
Biden on Why He and Obama Broke Their Silence on Trump:
Former President Obama and former Vice President Biden agreed to stay silent on Trump when he first took office, but Charlottesville changed that, the ex-Veep said. Speaking Saturday at the HRC's National Dinner in Washington, Biden said, "Barack and I agreed to remain silent for a while to give this administration a chance to get up and running the first year. God forgive me. But I could not remain silent after Charlottesville." Both men responded to Trump's "both sides" response to the white supremacist rally, Obama in a record-breaking tweet quoting Nelson Mandela, and Biden in an Atlantic op-ed headlined, "We Are Living Through a Battle for the Soul of This Nation." | | Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images
Biden also criticized Trump's use of executive power during his speech Saturday. "Instead of using the full might of the executive branch to secure justice, dignity, and safety for all, the President uses the White House as a literal, literal bully pulpit, callously exerting his power over those who have little or none," he said.
Puerto Ricans Treated Like "Second-Class Citizens," Gov Says:
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told CNN's S.E. Cupp Saturday that "we need to solve the century-old problem of colonialism in Puerto Rico" where residents are treated like "second-class citizens." Rosselló said lawmakers need to be asked whether they're OK with having more than 3 million residents living in Puerto Rico who aren't represented in Congress.
At least one would-be lawmaker already agrees with Rosselló. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told our Jake Tapper Sunday the US has a "modern-day colonial relationship" with Puerto Rico.
Storm Truther:
FEMA Administrator Brock Long didn't dispute Trump's conspiracy theory that the catastrophic death toll in Puerto Rico was a partisan plot. Brock told "Meet The Press" Sunday it was "hard to tell what's accurate and what's not." Brock, who's under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security over his use of a government vehicle for personal travel, also said he doesn't plan to step down over the probe.
Rock The Vote is Coming to a High School Near You:
The youth voter registration group's 2018 plans include visiting more than 2,000 US high schools to share classes on the history and importance of voting, and partnering with American Eagle. The clothing brand has worked with Rock The Vote before, and plans to release a line of four Rock The Vote tees created through a nationwide design contest, beginning September 21, with all proceeds going to the organization.
HBD, Constitution:
On this day in 1787, delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution. This day has since grown into one to commemorate not only our founding document, but American citizenship. In 1940, Congress passed a resolution making September 17 "I Am An American Day" to celebrate those who have become citizens. In 2004, Congress changed it to "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day."
Shoutout to 141 of the newest Americans who picked the perfect day to become citizens. This morning at the US Citizenship & Immigration Services field office in Miami, people from 33 countries participated in a naturalization ceremony, below. God bless America. 🇺🇸 | | Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Street Art Sighting:
This "Stop Kavanaugh" graphic was put up by street artist Alessandra Mondolfi in Miami as part of her campaign there against Kavanaugh's confirmation. | | Credit: @alessandramondolfi/Instagram
If you spot political street art, tweet me @hunterschwarz, tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com with your sighting so I can feature it in COVER/LINE. | | | | | | |
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