Thread by @Hegemommy

Sen. Grassley's defense of Kavanaugh and yesterday's proceedings is a brand new level of insult to survivors everywhere.

It was only fair that his accuser had the burden of proof, Grassley said. And in my opinion that wasn't met said Grassley

Then he suggests the press should leave the room for standing up and taking pictures

There's simply no reason to deny Judge Kavanaugh a seat on the Supreme Court based on the evidence presented to us, says Grassley.

There you have it, folks. We knew it but the fix was always in.

Grassley now defending all the documents Senate Republicans refused to disclose as the most thorough and transparent nomination process of ever

Grassley submits the rest of his statement to the record. And now Feinstein is up and ready to read Grassley the Riot Act

Feinstein detailing Kavanaugh's partisan attacks yesterday and notes that is the opposite of the temperament required for a federal judge

Feinstein recapping Dr. Ford's testimony and the details of her assault shared yesterday

My airplane wifi is crapping out so bear with me as I try and catch up

The Republican strategy is no longer attack the victim, it is ignore the victim Feinstein says

Grassley responds to Feinstein and insists an FBI investigation won't do anything and anyways if they really wanted one why didn't they break Dr. Ford's confidentiality in July anyways

A common thread in these hearings is the fact that Grassley is touchiest on the idea that he's unfair or this nomination process tainted. He's the real victim here.

Grassley is still narrating his response to Feinstein. Leahy points out that the effect of these soliloquies is to give Republicans on the committee two voices for every one Democratic voice

Grassley is STILL talking and defending his handling of the Kavanaugh nomination

Grassley passes the mic to Sen Hatch who immediately compliments Grassley on how wonderfully he's handled the entire Kavanaugh mess

Hatch here to remind us all that Kavanaugh is the greatest champion of women and that Democrats are the real monsters

Hatch says the longer the confirmation process the more "smears" will come forward against Kavanaugh which leads me to ask again

How many allegations against Kavanaugh do Republicans know about?

Hatch back to complimenting Grassley

Hatch now scolds the galley and Democrats for not being respectful enough to Grassley

Hatch said it would be a shame if we keep being mean to Kavanaugh

Now Sen. Leahy is up and calls the Judiciary Committee Alice in Wonderland

Spotty flight wifi might be a blessing as Graham gets cut off for me

Graham says he both believes Dr. Ford and that there's no evidence to her claims

Pretty sure we know that party was July 1 and that's why Graham booted Mitchell off her questioning of Kavanaugh yesterday

lost internet again but I'll assume everything remains terrible

I'm back and so is Durbin just in time to quote and enter into the record the ABA letter urging the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Kavanaugh only after an FBI investigation into Dr. Ford's claims

Grassley now trashing the ABA letter, says it represents only the views of the ABA president and the opinion doesn't change the fact that the ABA rated Kavanaugh "well qualified"

Cornyn now up and he says that the committee should treat Dr. Ford the same way he'd want his wife and daughters treated

Yeah, we know. And you did.

Cornyn said Republicans treated Dr. Ford "appropriately" and "dignified" yesterday

I just snorted loud enough to startle my seat mate when Cornyn started complaining about politicizing the Supreme Court nomination process fwiw

Cornyn is back on his bullshit and comparing yesterday's proceedings to the McCarthy hearings

Related. The guy in the seat behind me is spreading so wide his knees keep hitting my back and lolol not today satan

Anyways Cornyn is still talking and scolding Democrats for being mean to Kavanaugh

Cruelty. Reckless. Indecency.

That extends to Mark Judge, Cornyn says.

LEAVE MARK JUDGE ALONE is this part of Cornyn's statement

Cornyn accuses the Democrats of wanting to expose Judge's alcoholism to public ridicule

Reminder: white men are always the greatest victims

Cornyn concedes that if the vote on Kavanaugh is delayed there will be additional conversation and investigation into the claims against Kavanaugh.

I mean that's the purpose of advice and consent, dear

Sen. Whitehouse up now and says he'll be brief because he announced his intention to vote against Kavanaugh a while ago

Whitehouse on brand and talking about Kavanaugh's ties to pro-corporate dark money interests

Whitehouse call bullshit on Kavanaugh's testimony of high school drinking games like "Devil's Triangle" which we all know is not actually a drinking game

Judge is in hiding, Whitehouse notes.

Turns to Kavanaugh's calendar and I think he just called him "Bart Kavanaugh"

Whitehouse takes Kavanaugh's calendar and points to Kavanaugh's July 1 entry which Mitchell had started to hone in on before Republicans kicked her off the case yesterday

Whitehouse notes that the FBI could have done effectively a simple fact check on this point

Look at this ridiculous letter, Whitehouse says referring to Mark Judge's statement denying any memory of the night Dr. Ford was assaulted

Cover-ups never last, Whitehouse says

I pledge whatever I can do to make sure the truth of his conduct is ultimately determined, he says.

Grassley now wants some time to talk about the July 1 calendar and says its the wrong gathering because Judge and Kavanaugh said so

Aaaaand it's Senator Lee

And I'm on a flight so I can't go run around the block or something instead of listening to Lee

He starts out scolding the Democrats for not breaking Dr. Ford's confidentiality request in July

My heart goes out to both Dr. Ford and her family and Judge Kavanaugh and his. They've both been through a lot.

Lee is such an autobot and there's nothing natural about him talking about people being emotional

Now it's Sen. Klobuchar and out of the gates she's angrier than I've seen her maybe ever. And that spans decades.

This isn't normal, Klobuchar said

Klobuchar starts with Kavanaugh's views of executive power.

Then moves to the lack of process and transparency.

So. I'm an emotional crier and I cry when I am angry and it always happened when I was litigating and I see Klobuchar coming up that line as well.

I would really love this AKlo to show up all the time please and thank you.

Where is the bravery in this room, Klobuchar spits fire addressing her Republican colleagues

Klobuchar is basically in tears now she's so angry

This is hot rage from her and I hope she carries this emotion through for a loooong time

No-one is entitled to be on the United States Supreme Court, Klobuchar reminds the committee members

This isn't a he-said she-said, Klobuchar says. This is a he-said they-said

She now turns to Kavanaugh's inability to admit to heavy drinking and references him snapping at her yesterday instead of answering if he blacks out when he drinks

Klobuchar holds the rest of her statement until Republican staffers quiet down.

She is taking nobody's shit today

Grassley back to take umbrage with allegations that he's rushed the Kavanaugh process through

Sen. Cruz up now lamenting all the anger out there and pining for civility in government

Cruz says he feels real bad for Dr. Ford then goes on to talk about the "smears" against Kavanaugh

Cruz bringing up Kavanaugh mentioning how me might never be able to teach at Harvard Law School again.

I was there yesterday and the students I spoke with hope that to be the case.

Cruz notes that someone, either Ford or Kavanaugh, is lying.

Well right that's the purpose of follow-up investigation, Teddy

It's fantastic to see Cruz explain why it was reasonable for Judge to not meet with investigators but unreasonable for Dr. Ford to want to submit her sex assault story to Republican staffers

Grassley just asked Cruz to sum up which is just fantastic. Even Republicans hate listening to him drone on

CHUCK SAID WRAP IT UP, TED

Now Sen. Coons is up

"Twitter-fueled smash mouth politics" is a phrase Coons just uttered

Someone tell Grassley we can hear him mumbling on mic over Coons as Coons details Dr. Ford's assault allegations

Coons talks about an "ocean of pain" Dr. Ford's allegations have unleashed and one he says this country has not reckoned with

Grassley asks the rest of the committee members to be fast in their comments, notes he's only interrupted Cruz. Which was great.

Sen. Crapo up now. Reminder that is CRAY-po not CRAP-o despite all evidence to the contrary

Sorry to not summarize CRAY-po's statements here I was too busy laughing at all the Smash Mouth lyrics now in my twitter feed bless y'all 😂

Sen. Booker up now and starts with how it's been a lifelong dream of his to be on the Judiciary committee and tells Grassley how much he respects him

This gets tiresome from Booker imo

Booker wants our dialogue to rise to something different and that's great but I'd like to start with holding rapists accountable first

Booker's entire prologue was to rebut the idea of Dr. Ford's accusations being rooted in partisanship but he has honestly only made this statement about Booker

Booker now picking up steam and detailing the corroborating points of Dr. Ford's testimony and allegations

There's an hour left in my flight home and I'm not sure we'll have a vote by then at this rate

This is what drives me bananas about Booker. When he's good like now rebutting Kavanaugh, he's so good. But then he goes back to posturing for Republicans and it comes undone. Your Republican colleagues don't respect you, Corey. They just don't.

Grassley trying to cut Booker off now but Booker insists he's going to finish.

Blumenthal offers Booker some of his time to continue

Just because you went to Yale Law School or were captain of your basketball team, the Supreme Court is not an entitlement Booker says

Sen. Kennedy up now will we get a procedural question y/n

Kennedy says by his judgment there were "no winners in the room yesterday" and I guess starting your remarks by calling your colleagues losers is one way to go about things

This is no country for creepy old men, Kennedy says

Umm I cover the Senate Judiciary Committee and I dissent

Kennedy refers the committee to the Bible and starts reading scripture which seems appropriate in a secular setting

Senator Blumenthal up now.

Programming note: I'm on low battery on my laptop and about 45 min from landing so coverage will continue until it can't!

Blumenthal is a slow burn

Blumenthal just told Dr. Ford's sons that they should be proud of their mom and I crumpled

The chances I lose wifi right as the Committee votes on Kavanaugh is both real good and a fitting end to this never-ending Monday of SCOTUS confirmation coverage