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Dems Call for Delay of Kavanaugh Vote; GOP Resists

'50 Years, 50 Heroes': Kamala Harris Honors Dianne Feinstein

Democrats say the case for delay is even stronger now that the woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault has come forward.

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Reaction is pouring in to the identification of the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school. Many liberals are supportive of Christine Blasey Ford, who identified herself in a Washington Post interview published today, and calling for a delay of the Senate Judiciary Committee vote, set for Thursday, on whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate. But committee chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, is resisting postponement.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, called for the confirmation hearings on Kavanaugh's nomination to be stopped while the FBI investigates Ford's allegations. U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, who initially received Ford's letter outlining her accusation that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her, forwarded the letter to Feinstein.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said the vote should definitely be put off. "To railroad a vote now would be an insult to the women of America and the integrity of the Supreme Court," Schumer said in a statement.

So did Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and attorney Jill Wine-Banks.

The National Women's Law Center called for a thorough investigation of Ford's accusations. "Christine Blasey Ford never asked to come forward and share her story about the sexual violence she says she experienced at the hands of Brett Kavanaugh," said a statement issued by its president and CEO, Fatima Goss Graves. "She was dragged into the spotlight against her will. But now that Ford's story is public, the Senate is obligated to take these allegations seriously and give them the careful consideration they deserve -- while protecting the private citizen who many will now target for personal destruction because she has named her experience. The Senate has an opportunity to get it right this time and not repeat the wrongs that were done to Anita Hill in 1991. Anita Hill's testimony and the witnessing of all who have come after her -- especially over the past year -- have made it indisputable: sexual harassment and sexual violence are behaviors that must never be excused or explained away. If the charges are true, Kavanaugh's behavior makes clear that he is not fit for a seat on the Supreme Court, or any court."

But Grassley is digging in.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.