Byron York: Ralphing, fart jokes, and the FFFFF-word: Sen. Whitehouse's star turn at Kavanaugh hearing
by Byron York
| September 28, 2018 12:15 AM
Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse announced he would vote against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh two and a half weeks ago, on Sept. 10. So when Whitehouse questioned Kavanaugh Thursday, there was no pretense that the senator was looking for information to help him make a tough decision. Instead, Whitehouse chose, somewhat inexplicably, to take a deep dive into Kavanaugh's 1983 high school yearbook.
It did not turn out well.
Whitehouse's purpose was to uncover evidence to support the Democrats' pet theory that the adolescent Kavanaugh often got so drunk that he could not remember what he did while under the influence — and therefore, could have sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford and not recall it. By looking at Kavanaugh's high school yearbook, Whitehouse hoped to find clues to shed light on the mind of a young, and drunken, sexual predator.
Whitehouse appeared fixated on the yearbook page's youthful slang. "One of the reasons, Mr. Kavanaugh, that we are looking at the yearbook is that it is relatively consistent in time with the events at issue here and because it appears to be your words," Whitehouse said. Those words, Whitehouse suggested, might be very revealing. "You know, lawyers should be working off of common terms and understand the words that we're using. I think that's a pretty basic principle among lawyers, wouldn't you agree?"
"It is," a bemused Kavanaugh answered. "If you're worried about my yearbook, have at it, senator."
And Whitehouse did have at it, starting with a mysterious phrase related to "beach week," from the summer of 1982.
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/byron-york-ralphing-fart-jokes-and-the-fffff-word-sen-whitehouses-star-turn-at-kavanaugh-hearing
