Democrats didn't leak Dr. Ford's letter--it was most likely the White House

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The White House and Trump are clearly outraged over what poor Brett Kavanaugh had to endure before becoming the newest right-leaning corporate justice on the Supreme Court. They are livid and verklempt over his horrible treatment after Democrats “viciously and strategically” released horrible “lies and deceptions” about him in a failed attempt to derail his confirmation. This is exactly how they first responded to the news about the Blasey Ford accusations way, way back on Sept. 13.

In a statement, White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec said that the FBI "has thoroughly and repeatedly vetted Judge Kavanaugh, dating back to 1993, for some of the most highly sensitive roles."

"Not until the eve of his confirmation has Sen. Feinstein or anyone raised the specter of new 'information' about him," Kupec said. "Senator Schumer promised to 'oppose Judge Kavanaugh's nomination with everything I have,' and it appears he is delivering with this 11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation."

So clearly Schumer and Feinstein were plotting secretly to strategically use Dr. Ford as a pawn in an attempt to destroy Kavanaugh. They had the letter, they had kept it hidden, and then, in the “11th hour” had decided to ambush Judge Kavanaugh in order to embarrass him using this poor, poor woman in their desperate and evil plan.

The problem with this argument is that nearly all the press reports prior to and including the New Yorker report that first detailed the contents of Dr. Ford’s letter indicate that Sen. Feinstein’s office didn’t share anything about the letter with anyone except the FBI on Sept 12. In fact, the most likely source for the ultimate release of Dr. Ford’s name and identity was the White House itself.

All their outrage is false.

-more-

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/14/1803379/-Democrats-didn-t-leak-Dr-Ford-s-letter-it-was-most-likely-the-White-House#read-more

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

[FBaggins]

2. Why would they do that?

If her name wasn’t revealed, the hearings would be over and he would cruise through a couple weeks faster and with 2-3 more votes.

[0rganism]

6. to bait us into a hard fight and claim a yuuuge victory befor3 midterms

despite all the arguing, KKKavanaugh's confirmation was pretty damn likely - a good bet for demonstrating "strength" prior to the elections. Republicans respond favorably to displays of strength, so motivational.

[unitedwethrive]

7. They knew that they had the votes, so they were desperately thinking up ways to stir up their base.

[dchill]

9. To distract from the 3 instances of perjury...

committed by Kavanaugh before the Senate. They muddied the waters, and the sensation-seeking press went for it. I suspected all along that the leak came from the GOP.

[cstanleytech]

14. What the Repugnants have forgotten is just because he is a SCOTUS judge does not

make him immune from criminal charges for perjury.

[W_HAMILTON]

10. To scare her into recanting her accusation.

The accusation was already out there, although anonymously, and it started to gain more and more traction as the week went along.

Republicans knew that she requested confidentiality above all else.

By leaking her name, they hoped it would shine a bright enough spotlight on her and get her to recant the accusations that were already making the rounds in the media.

[LisaL]

17. This was not a provable accusation.

You had to take her word for it, because there was no other evidence. Or not. Republicans could then present Democrats as those who would destroy someone's career based on unproven and un-provable accusation.

[Grasswire2]

11. to turn him into a victim

That's always the go-to for Trump (and we must assume that McGahn acquiesces to that or facilitates it). It was a plan from the get-go.

Kav's freakout was a plan, too.

The Flake "investigation" was a fake plan.

DiFi fell for it without immediately insisting on parameters of the investigation.

[LisaL]

18. Not just him, men in general.

[Grasswire2]

19. yes, by extension

....and then Dems became a mob. That was the next step. It's a rolling, weaponized plot.

[LisaL]

16. What I would guess is this accusation could never be proven,

due to how long ago it was supposed to have happened. Because it could never be proven, Kavanaugh could then be presented as a victim.
Not that I necessarily believe what OP is suggesting.

[sprinkleeninow]

3. The WH and Orifice of Offal loves themselves some leaks.

They may be sources of leaks. And then again, they relish getting leaked on.

[spanone]

4. K&R...

[liberal N proud]

5. It fits their MO

[manor321]

8. Nah

We know Ford herself talked of it to others at the time of the hearings. It probably got around.

[EndGOPPropaganda]

12. Also the WHOLE ARGUMENT IS STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!

If Democrats wanted to hurt Kavanaugh with this leak, they would have released it AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE!!!


Josh Marshall on this point:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/why-doesnt-grassley-get-more-grief-for-lying-like-this

The whole Republican argument about Kavanaugh's sex crime letter leak is asinine.

[greytdemocrat]

13. What??

Sorry, This sounds ridiculous.

[Power 2 the People]

15. Puhleeeeze be true and provable.

[FBaggins]

20. It would certainly be explosive

My understanding is that her name was redacted from the letter that Feinstein gave to the FBI. The FBI (properly) turned that over to the White House. But if they leaked her name, it would raise the obvious question of how they would know who it was - unless Kavanaugh told them because he remembered the incident.

Unfortunately, this is just a little too far down the conspiracy theory path for me. The nomination was about to proceed to the floor (to be voted on a couple days later) when her name was leaked. I don't see a plausible reason for why they would want to slow things down at that point. Yes... I read the replies to my earlier question - but none of them were persuasive to me. They require a combination of brilliant strategists on the right and idiots on the left.

[aikoaiko]

21. Could be true, but the logic is weak.