All eyes are on the Senate Judiciary Committee today, as Chairman Charles Grassley announced today that the committee will need to hear from Dr. Ford with written testimony by Friday, in order to proceed with the Monday hearing. Grassley has invited Dr. Ford to testify in public or in a private closed-door hearing. To date, Ford continues to speak only through her lawyers.
For their part, pro-abortion activists and Senators continue to express support for Dr. Ford. Anna Eshoo, the Democratic Congresswoman from California who first reported the allegations to Senator Dianne Feinstein, make extensive remarks today about her interactions with Ford, saying she “believes” her and finds her testimony credible. Meanwhile, a high school classmate of Ford first expressed support for her story, then attempted to withdraw from public notoriety. And a classmate of Judge Kavanaugh’s has expressed support for him in a letter to the Judiciary Committee, saying he recalls no such party as the one described by Ford.
At this point, there’s little anyone can do but wait and watch Dr. Ford’s attorneys. Chairman Grassley and the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are sensing that she is unwilling to testify, either in public or in private, for whatever reason. If that’s the case, the only thing left is to find an anchor for this drifting vessel. Today’s announcement could be a first step toward setting a sticking place for the proceedings and looking ahead toward a committee decision and full Senate vote.
