The Investigation Is On

I'm sort of in favor of the investigation, I suppose. I didn't think either Ford or Kavanaugh conveyed an impression of believability. As I noted before, and as others have noted, Kavanaugh seemed to really not want the investigation--and who can blame him? I don't have anything even vaguely interesting to hide, and I don't think I'd want the FBI poking its nose into my private life. OTOH, if I'd been accused of sexual assault I'd think I'd be fairly likely to welcome it. Kavanaugh might very well be concerned that they'll turn up something unrelated but embarrassing...that could be why he's hesitant. If you've worked all your life to be a hot-shot judge, and you're this close to being a Supreme, you'd be wise to lunge for the brass ring. Why take the chance that something will turn up to derail you? 

   However, there is one calendar entry that's consistent with Ford's story. Though her story could easily have been reverse-engineered from Judge's book. In fact, to my ear, it kinda sounds like it was. The shopping cart bit is just a bit too convenient. And, though my bad reaction to Ford is hard for me to flesh out, it's something like this: she reminds me of certain flaky women I've known who didn't have the firmest of grips on reality. Though, again, I don't trust such impressions.

   At any rate, I don't particularly see how an investigation can hurt much. I'm not really concerned about this happening every time; the Dems are going all in on this one. If it doesn't pan out, I doubt they'll have the political capital to try something similar on the next nominee. As somebody pointed out in comments, it does play into a bad, emerging cultural tendency...but we may just have to pay that cost.

   Kavanaugh kind of shot himself in the ass with his Mr. Furious shtick. JQ said she could imagine him being a mean drunk. She's a very reasonable person, so if she's suspicious, I'm suspicious.

   Though, come to think of it, Kavanaugh might oppose this because it can, realistically, only hurt him. It's unlikely that anything else can be turned up about Ford--her own witnesses contradict her account, as do her psychologist's notes. Her fear of flying story doesn't exactly hold up, either. The FBI isn't going to find out that she and Kavanaugh were in different places every night for two years... OTOH, basically anything untoward they turn up about Kavanaugh is a loss for him. Nobody wants bad stuff about them to be made public. And he seemed to be lying about, e.g., blacking out from drinking. If he was, and that comes out, it'll be taken, in effect, as evidence for Ford, unfair though that might be.

   What a mess.