Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., keeps it classy. She is currently fundraising for her future presidential campaign using the sexual assault allegations lodged against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
“Christine Blasey Ford has done a brave thing in coming forward. She deserves to be heard and treated with respect. Now it’s the Senate’s job to make sure that happens,” the Massachusetts Democrat wrote in an email. And then, down toward the bottom, the senator includes a button where progressives can donate, presumably to make sure that happens and definitely to fill the Warren war chest.
Warren sent the email Tuesday. The Washington Times was the first to report it, and condemnation has followed. If Warren and her colleagues believe Ford, the normal critique goes, they would fight for her and make sure her story was aired, instead of using her to make a buck.
And there is something to that. But there is also a subtext at a moment when Ford refuses to testify under oath, prompting Republicans to prepare to vote for Kavanaugh anyway.
This isn’t necessarily about whether or not Democrats believe Ford — they have already made it clear they are interested in defeating the nomination, not in seeing any type of justice. It could instead be an indicator that Democrats believe the window is closing, that they tainted the nomination, and that’s the best they could do. Might as well raise a few bucks before it’s over.
Warren clearly sees an opportunity in the controversy. Her brazen fundraising could suggest that she and her colleagues are trying to score whatever political points and make political money while they still can.
