Lindsey Graham and the Repugs flip out

Senator Graham and the Repugs are bad losers. His sneering, nasty riff here is revealing and unlike his usual smooth-talking conservative persona. He and the other Repugs were freaked out by Blasey-Ford's steady, credible testimony.

Repug throws a tantrum after Blasey-Ford testifies

From Daily Kos:

Well, if Republicans hadn’t stood in the way of an FBI investigation, there might be corroboration. Just a thought! 

Graham also said that “Hiring a lawyer and taking a polygraph makes me more suspicious.” In other words, literally anything Ford could do would make Graham more suspicious. 

Similarly, Graham insisted that Ford’s uncertainty about the date of the assault is a reason to disbelieve her. When activist Robyn Swirling approached him and told him she’d been raped 13 years ago but didn’t know the exact date, asking if he’d believe her, he said simply “I’m sorry, but then you should go to the cops,” and walked into an elevator.

But that’s not all. Graham accused Democrats of wanting to keep the Supreme Court seat open until they could get a Senate majority and block Donald Trump’s nominees. Pretty sure Merrick Garland wants to know what kind of dastardly fiends would think of such a strategy. 

Graham also offered a dire warning for the future: “If this is the new norm, God help us all as Republicans, cause this happens to us, it never happens to them. But let me tell you, my Democratic friends, if this is the new norm, you better watch out for your nominees.” 

Pretty sure former senator Al Franken is interested to hear that “it never happens to them.” 

Here’s the norm: when Democrats face sexual assault or harassment allegations, they step down. Republicans don’t. And now Graham is having a public temper tantrum over the injustice to Republicans that that norm might have to change.

Blasey-Ford credible, Repugs cowardly and contemptible

Kevin Drum:

In terms of facts, the Senate questioning of Christine Blasey Ford went nowhere. We learned almost nothing new.

So the only thing left is theater criticism, and on that score Republicans crashed and burned brutally. Ford was an excellent, sympathetic witness. She was obviously sincere, helpful, and genuinely emotional. I’m not sure how she could have been better.

Conversely, having a prosecutor take over for the Republican questioning was a disaster. The Republicans looked cowardly for not being willing to be accountable for their own questions. And Mitchell simply didn’t score any points at all.