Republicans really, really don’t want Mark Judge to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Friday morning, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) rehashed Thursday’s claim that having Judge testify about his memories (or lack thereof) of the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh would be pointless since Judge has already in a “statement under penalty of felony” denied having been involved in such an incident. And, just as Republicans claim to think that having the FBI investigate the allegations would be pointless, apparently asking Judge questions couldn’t possibly yield new information. But that wasn’t Cornyn’s only objection.
Noting that Judge has spoken not only of his struggles with alcoholism but of anxiety and a fear of public speaking, Cornyn moralized:
Our colleagues across the aisle believe that the appropriate course of conduct is to drag Mr. Judge into this circus-like atmosphere and to subject his battle with alcoholism and addiction to public investigation and scrutiny and ridicule. That is cruel. That is reckless. That is indecent.
You know who else talked about struggles with anxiety and PTSD? Christine Blasey Ford. But she courageously answered questions for hours Thursday morning as the Republicans’ “female assistant” tried to build the case that she was lying and had been paid to make false accusations.
While Rachel Mitchell tried to make much of the fact that Ford says she’s afraid to fly and yet also sometimes flies, here’s something interesting about how Judge’s anxiety makes him avoid public speaking, a claim he made “under penalty of perjury” in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Judge’s publisher’s website identifies him as being available for public speaking engagements. This suggests that perhaps that his anxiety about public speaking could be overcome just as Ford had to overcome her anxiety about flying.
And like it or not, Judge’s alcoholism factors here, since Ford describes him and Kavanaugh as having been extremely drunk when they attacked her. It factors, since Judge’s memoir of alcoholism includes relevant information to placing the date of Ford’s allegation. It factors, since Brett Kavanaugh refused to answer whether he might be the inspiration for the “Bart O’Kavanaugh” mentioned in Judge’s book. Judge’s testimony is relevant because he told his college girlfriend that in high school he and other young men took turns having sex with a drunk woman—information relevant both to Julie Swetnick’s allegations and to the general behavior of Judge and Kavanaugh’s friend group with regard to women.
Republicans don’t want to hear from Judge for the same reasons they don't want an FBI investigation: they don’t want any more information to emerge that might derail Kavanaugh’s confirmation. They’re trying to protect Kavanaugh and themselves.
We need a Senate that believes women. Please give $3 each to elect Jacky Rosen in Nevada and Beto O'Rourke in Texas.
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