Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh took a page out of the 1991 Clarence Thomas hearings in his forceful denial of sex abuse allegations and attack of Democratic smears on his character at Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Outside advisers said that he had no choice but to challenge his Democratic attackers on the committee and three accusers.
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“Going Clarence Thomas,” said a Republican strategist as Kavanaugh read his opening statement with a mix of bluster, anger, and near tears. “Had no choice. When it’s your stage, you have to make the most of it. You can’t hold back, if you want the job you have to fight for it,” added the strategist.
The model worked for Republican Thomas, who faced surprise allegations of workplace sexual harassment from accuser Anita Hill who was heralded by Democrats on the Judiciary panel like Kavanaugh’s accuser Christine Blasey Ford.
During those hearings, Thomas pushed back with unusual force and accused the committee of a “high tech lynching.”
He said at the time, “This is a circus. It’s a national disgrace. And from my standpoint, as a black American, it is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas, and it is a message that unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you. You will be lynched, destroyed, caricatured by a committee of the U.S. Senate rather than hung from a tree.”
Facing a similarly imperiled nomination, Kavanaugh was advised to follow Thomas, who won confirmation 52-48 on Oct. 15 in what was the narrowest margin in more than a century.
“Many in conservative and Republican circles felt he needed to take them on to their faces a la Thomas,” said an administration adviser.
Ron Bonjean, who helped to shepherd through President Trump’s first court pick, Neil Gorsuch, said, “Kavanaugh came out guns blazing and delivered emotional as well as riveting testimony while refuting the allegations made against him. The judge was clearly very upset and distraught about the past two weeks and it’s very clear that he felt compelled to forcefully fight for his life and family. The question now is will it be enough for 51 votes for his confirmation.”
