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Kavanaugh: Final Thoughts!

October 6, 2018

Kavanaugh: Final Thoughts!

Kavanaugh

Justice Brett Kavanaugh

It’s over! Thirty-three days ago, I wrote Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Lots of noise since then, but we now have a full complement on the Court, including Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Party Rules

Voting matters, majorities matter, and politicians vote party first. Only Senators Joe Manchin (D – W. Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R – Alaska) crossed on the Kavanaugh vote, and both did so for seemingly different reasons.

Senator Manchin represents the most pro-Trump state and he’s running for re-election. As for Senator Murkowski, she runs again in 2022. Alaska likes Rs, but it likes Murkowskis too. Senator Murkowski’s father Frank served as Senator and Governor. The current Senator Murkowski won re-election

Central Park Five, Christine Blasey Ford, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Judge Merrick Garland, President Donald Trump, Senator Jeff Flake, Senator Joe Manchin, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Susan Collins

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Still More on L’affaire Kavanaugh

September 29, 2018

Mark Rubin

Still More on L’affaire Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh

From There to Thursday / Friday

President Donald Trump and 11 angry white men who comprise the majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee. What a crew!

They got their guy right up to the finish line by mid-day on September 28, after an 80-day span from nomination to committee vote. Then, they sounded like stuck pigs because the Ds had the temerity to be unhappy after they got their one-day hearing. You’d have thought the Ds destroyed the confirmation process as we know it, to listen to Senator Lindsey Graham (R – S.C.) (No, we never liked him, even though he hung around with Senator John McCain (R – Ariz.), who we liked

Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, President Donald Trump, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Lindsey Graham

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The Kavanaugh Affair, Again

September 27, 2018

Mark Rubin

The Kavanaugh Affair, Again

Brett Kavanaugh

The Testimony

Well, that happened. Ugly, but at least I won’t read any more comments about how the *** won’t even show. (Right Winger foul language about women leaves me cold.) She showed up. She spoke. And for no personal or political gain.

As my day played out, I heard more from Brett Kavanaugh. No one should vote for this man to serve on any court, based on his performance. Sure, he was under pressure and felt attacked. Still, he—a sitting judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia—sounded and acted like a thug. He interrupted senators. He offered snarky responses. Rude and surly.

Of course, President Donald Trump

Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, Julie Swetnick, Michael Avenatti, President Donald Trump

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The Kavanaugh Affair

September 20, 2018

Mark Rubin

The Kavanaugh Affair

Brett Kavanaugh

I posted Justice Brent Kavanaugh on September 3. I anticipated none of what has kept bloggers and journalists—those who uncover facts and share them, so that bloggers like me can repackage them—busy during the last several days. (Had I foreseen any of it, I’d have made some real money at predictit.org.) Still, I see nothing which gives me a reason to think I got the expected outcome wrong 2+ weeks ago.

The Rs are rallying ‘round. Senator Lindsay Graham (S.C.) calls the assault allegation report a “drive-by shooting.” A request by Christine Blasey Ford for an FBI investigation before she testifies prompted Senator Susan Collins (Maine) to call such a demand

Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, Ed Whelan, Governor MItt Romney, Josh Marshall, Kate Zernike, Senator John Cornyn, Senator Lindsay Graham, Senator Susan Collins, Talking Points Memo

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Justice Brett Kavanaugh

September 3, 2018

Mark Rubin

Justice Judge Brett Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins its hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday, September 4. Here’s the schedule, not that anything about the process will affect the outcome.

Judge Kavanaugh sits presently on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He has served on that court for a dozen years. Prior to his appointment he did the private / public shuffle, working for Ken Starr on the Clinton Whitewater (Lewinski) case, the Bush II White House, and for Kirkland & Ellis.

Judge Kavanaugh meets the legal requirements for service on the Supreme Court. He’s a sentient being, and

Brett Kavanaugh, democracy, Democrats, Merrick Garland, Neil Gorsuch, president barack obama, President Donald Trump, Senator John McCain, Senator Mitch McConnell

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Road Trip

August 28, 2018

Mark Rubin

Road Trip

Mark Rubin

A road trip awaits me, soon. A few things must line up, and I’m ever hopeful that they will.

Alignments bring to mind the Age of Aquarius and Hair. (Younger readers: You had to be there, truly, but people took their clothes off on stage.) Unfortunately, I don’t know when the Moon will be in the Seventh House. (Seventh House?) And Jupiter and Mars? This man waits for no planetary alignments. Alignment for me means a week or so with no court appearances, no other obligations, and an available sitter for Max.

Max and My Shoe

And the trip? I’m headed due east, to the Deep South. I want to understand, as well as

Atlanta, Barack Obama, Birmingham, Greg Iles, Jackson, Little Rock, Memphis, Montgomery, Natchez, New Orleans, Penn Cage, road trip, Selma, Ta-Nehisi Coates

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Tough Weekend

August 26, 2018

Mark Rubin

Tough Weekend

Tough weekend. I’m focused on Brush and Bulky, cleaning my house for the arrival of my daughter, and worrying about how to help LB fix her tortoise enclosure, so Robin the tortoise won’t suffer when we get much needed rain. (“I have an engineering problem,” says she. Right, I’m thinking, and you called … me?)

On my side, workwise, there are still post-trial issues which require attention. And plenty of clients who, rightfully, want their matters attended to. None of which, including the personal matters, accounts for the tough weekend.

Scott Gibson

On Saturday I attended a memorial service for an old friend, Scott Gibson, who left us too soon. Scott was an extraordinary contributor to the

John McCain, Scott Gibson

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TrumpLand Circa August 21, 2018

August 22, 2018

Mark Rubin

TrumpLand Circa August 21, 2018

President Donald Trump

Update

Dan Balz wrote After two convictions, pressure mounts on Trump for the Washington Post on August 21. Dan—I’ve had the pleasure of his company, briefly, a couple of times—knows President-stuff as well as anyone today, and he writes beautifully, too. Best line in the piece? “This was a day when truth overran tweets, when facts overwhelmed bald assertions.” (Recall that almost 72 hours ago Rudy Giuliani treated us to “truth isn’t truth.”)

Manafort

To update those who don’t know the facts the Paul Manafort jury convicted Mr. Manafort on eight felony counts. The jury hung—no unanimity—on 10 other counts but: (a) presumptive sentences on the eight counts have

Dan Balz, Jonathan Chait, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, Rudy Giuilini, Tom NIchols

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Hey There, Readers!

August 18, 2018

Mark Rubin

Hey there, Readers!

Mark Rubin

I’ve been away. I checked, and I posted last on July 11, almost six weeks ago. So … what?

I returned from the British Isles* on July 5. On July 31 I started what ended up being an eight-day jury trial. In between? Preparation. Preparation. More preparation! And a dark website and FB presence, as I didn’t want jurors looking into the life of the mouthy lawyer.

If your biorhythms need a shake up, try a case to 10 jurors. (We let the alternates deliberate.) My normal workday runs from 7 to about 4:30, with a few hours on weekends. During the trial? Sunrise until about 9:30 p.m., with a bit of evening time for

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The United Kingdom on 11/07/2018

July 10, 2018

Mark Rubin

The United Kingdom on 11/07/2018

Mark Rubin

Leigh and I left the United Kingdom about 130 hours ago. Since we left England beat Sweden for a spot in the World Cup semi-finals. (Spend a couple of weeks in football-mad countries and you’ll appreciate the game too. Boring? Uh-no!!! And we revel in the fact that England beat Colombia on July 3, for we did not want to experience a football loss in London.)

Prime Minister Teresa May’s government might fall over Brexit. Brexit Minister David Davis, whose official title is Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, quit. So, too, did Alexander Boris de Pfeffl Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. (Boris Johnson was,

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