1. There is a species of argument out there that goes something like this:
2. To which I have this to say: The weaponizing of allegations was perfected by Newt Gingrich. He coined the phrase “politics of personal destruction.”
3. His first victim was Jim Wright. Gingrich led the call for an investigation into his alleged corruption. With Wright destroyed, Gingrich took the speakership in 1994.
4. Allegations against Kavanaugh are at least credible. But credible allegations weren’t necessary for Kavanaugh to investigate any kooky conspiracy theory against Bill Clinton.
5. As a key aide to Special Investigator Ken Starr, Kavanaugh used any crazed notion he heard on conservative talk radio to justify months of investigation into the suicide-death of former Clinton aide Vincent Foster.
6. It’s things like this that make me wonder why anyone takes any of these right-wing mooks as serious thinkers. So Dems would do the same thing as Republicans, right? Sure, except the Dems got rid of Al Franken within a weak of hearing allegations of his sexual misconduct.
7. Finally, people like Erickson and others worry out loud that if things done as a teenagers can bring down men seeking high office later in life, what will become of us? To which I say: Ha! Bring. It. On.
8. Not only do I see nothing wrong with formerly distinguished careers ending after everyone sees crimes committed as teenagers; I think of such revelations as being categorically beneficial to society. If justice did not prevail then, it can prevail in other ways now. Thank God.
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