Sen. Lindsey Graham has had it.The South Carolina Republican delivered a red-faced, pissed-off performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee in which he accused Democrats of playing politics with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and plotting to destroy his life in order to keep a seat open until 2020, when presumably Democrats believe they can win a presidential election.“To my Republican colleagues: If you vote no, you’re legitimizing the most despicable thing I have seen in my time of politics!” Graham shouted as Kavanaugh — accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford, who testified earlier Thursday — sat silently before the committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee could vote to recommend Kavanaugh to a full Senate vote as soon as Friday.
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“I hope the American people will see through this sham,” Graham said, adding he fully intends to vote for Kavanaugh.“You had no intention of protecting Dr. Ford. None!” Graham shouted, pointing angrily at the Democrats on the committee, who he accused of holding onto Ford’s allegations for solely political reasons.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the committee, has known about Ford’s allegations of sexual assault since July. At that time, Ford was not ready to come forward publicly.Kavanaugh himself had provided tearful testimony refuting Ford’s allegations. Ford also cried during her testimony, recalling her allegations of sexual assault during a high school party in 1982.
Graham’s performance shouldn’t have been too terribly surprising; he spent breaks during the Thursday hearings saying things like Democrats should “watch out” for their nominees if this was their new standard. He also said somebody had paid for Ford’s polygraph test, which she took to back up her allegations of sexual assault at the recommendation of her lawyers.
Moments after Graham’s impassioned speech, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders commended Graham for his “decency and courage.”Cover: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during testimony by U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)