This will be my thread for the Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearing, "day 5," as the committee is calling it, or the Ford/Kavanaugh day, as the rest of the world is calling it.
For @BuzzFeedNews, @pdmcleod is in the hearing room, so follow him:
Here's our @BuzzFeedNews breaking news story, which will be updated as the day goes on —> buzzfeednews.com/article/buzzfe…
Grassley has opened the hearing.
Grassley is opening the hearing with a statement noting that nothing turned up in Kavanaugh’s background check and is focused on the delay between when Feinstein received Ford’s letter and when he found out about it. 
“I look forward to a fair and respectful hearing,” Grassley says, in the midst of attacking Feinstein’s handling of this, dismissing FBI investigations, & explaining why the all-male GOP side of the Comte found who McConnell referred to as a “female assistant” to ask questions.
Feinstein, in response to Grassley, notes in her opening that she kept Ford’s allegations confidential at Ford’s request until Ford herself was willing to allow them to be shared.
Feinstein talks about the larger issue of sexual assault, recalls watching Anita Hill’s testimony, and notes the way the committee Republicans proceeded — adding, “We continue to believe that [Mark] Judge should be subpoenaed.”
Feinstein notes that all three named women accusers are seeking an FBI investigation, something that Grassley was dismissive of in his opening by quoting from a Biden comment about the *conclusions* of FBI background investigations.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford begins her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.
"It was almost surely a spur-of-the-moment gathering," Ford says of the night in question, that followed a day of, she says, practicing diving at a Columbia Country Club.
Ford, getting emotional, describes her sexual assault as previously described, noting that Kavanaugh and Judge were laughing during the assault.
"Brett's assault on me drastically altered my life," Ford says.
You can read Ford's prepared opening remarks here —> buzzfeednews.com/article/blakem…
Ford says that Feinstein explicitly promised not to share the letter without her explicit consent.
"My responsibility is to tell you the truth," Ford says.
The 5-minute-at-a-time questioning is not good for accomplishing anything, I'd say.
An unaccountable female prosecutor coming in for a short-time job asking questions for male elected officials who would have to deal w/ the consequences of questions in what is not a trial of Ford but sure looks like a cross-examination of Ford is, if nothing else, discomforting.
Apologies. Deleted the last tweet about the Grassley comment per this information:
Asked by Mitchell, Ford says that she had not hired a lawyer prior to sending her letter.
The president's son tweets this as Sen. Blumenthal talks about Dr. Ford's courage to testify.
Ford, on the polygraph examination, which she said took longer than she expected: "I endured it, and it was fine."
During the break, Hatch proves why Mitchell is there, regardless of how not-well that is going:
"He’s the ‘Sixth Sense’ nominee: He’s dead but he’s the only one who doesn’t know it.”
Read @tparti on how Trumpworld thinks today is going: buzzfeednews.com/article/tarini…
Read @tparti on how Trumpworld thinks today is going: buzzfeednews.com/article/tarini…
Meanwhile, Graham is continuing on the warrant-requirement "particularity" path he previewed he'd be employing at the hearing. That is not, of course, what this hearing about, but Graham doesn't seem to care.
This is an important note. Also recall the way that Kavanaugh’s statements distinguishing what he said previously versus now regarding his confirmation hearings were defended vociferously as “immaterial” distinctions.
The afternoon part of the hearing has begun —>
Mitchell is going back to how the polygraph is being paid for, prompting her lawyers to interject that they paid for it. Mitchell continues, asking if she'd later be passed on the cost, prompting Ford to mention possible support from GoFundMe pages.
Meanwhile, over on Breitbart:
Meanwhile, over on Breitbart:
Katz (Ford's lawyer): You previously asked her to only answer as to what she was certain about, now you're asking her what's possible?
Mitchell: "Is that an objection, counsel?"
Ford, to her lawyers: "I don't understand."
Mitchell: "Is that an objection, counsel?"
Ford, to her lawyers: "I don't understand."
Mitchell is back to Ford's legal expenses.
Bromwich, one of Ford's lawyers, steps in to note that both he and Katz, her other lawyer present, are representing her pro bono and do not expect to be paid.
Bromwich, one of Ford's lawyers, steps in to note that both he and Katz, her other lawyer present, are representing her pro bono and do not expect to be paid.
Mitchell is going down the path of "who was the person who introduced you to Kavanaugh," leading Ford to talk about Ed Whelan's looking around and naming that person and saying that she doesn't wish to name the person named by Whelan.
Harris, California's other senator, is up.
Ford, on PJ Smyth and Leland Ingham Keyser not recalling the night in question, "Nothing remarkable happened to them that evening."
Remarkable that Mark Judge's brief denial statement is just being submitted into the record.
Feinstein and Blumenthal both criticize the failure to bring those people up for testimony. Blumenthal says he objects to putting the letters in the record.
Bromwich: "Can we be excused?"
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford is done testifying.
Lindsey Graham, like Hatch, is proving why Rachel Mitchell was here today.
Afternoon thread, covering Kavanaugh’s testimony, is here:
