Opioion by:By Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large
Updated 11:14 AM ET, Wed September 26, 2018The truth is that Republicans on the judiciary committee were in a lose-lose situation here. Let their members ask questions of Ford and run the very real risk that some one of them might, well, step in it badly. Take the route they did by bringing in a woman to ask questions of Ford and Kavanaugh and look like they are so worried about screwing up that they are ceding their senatorial privilege of asking questions of a person who is on the verge of a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.
The calculation made by Grassley and the other GOP members of the judiciary committee is that allowing Mitchell to ask the bulk (or maybe all) of the questions is the lesser of the two evils. Sure, Democrats will criticize them for abdicating their responsibilities at such a critical juncture. But, that's nothing when compared to the political fallout from even a single one of the 11 saying something to Ford that is deemed to be offensive, bullying or inappropriate. None of those 11 Republican senators wanted to take a risk like that, and so they brought on Mitchell.
That decision speaks to the incredibly fraught moment in which Republicans find themselves. A hugely high profile hearing on Thursday centered on a sexual assault allegation against Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. Amid the massive cultural shifts occasioned by the #MeToo movement. And with a midterm election, which has at least the potential to be a total disaster for congressional Republicans, looming just more than a month away.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. And that's exactly what this move by Grassley is.
Updated 11:14 AM ET, Wed September 26, 2018The truth is that Republicans on the judiciary committee were in a lose-lose situation here. Let their members ask questions of Ford and run the very real risk that some one of them might, well, step in it badly. Take the route they did by bringing in a woman to ask questions of Ford and Kavanaugh and look like they are so worried about screwing up that they are ceding their senatorial privilege of asking questions of a person who is on the verge of a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.
The calculation made by Grassley and the other GOP members of the judiciary committee is that allowing Mitchell to ask the bulk (or maybe all) of the questions is the lesser of the two evils. Sure, Democrats will criticize them for abdicating their responsibilities at such a critical juncture. But, that's nothing when compared to the political fallout from even a single one of the 11 saying something to Ford that is deemed to be offensive, bullying or inappropriate. None of those 11 Republican senators wanted to take a risk like that, and so they brought on Mitchell.
That decision speaks to the incredibly fraught moment in which Republicans find themselves. A hugely high profile hearing on Thursday centered on a sexual assault allegation against Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. Amid the massive cultural shifts occasioned by the #MeToo movement. And with a midterm election, which has at least the potential to be a total disaster for congressional Republicans, looming just more than a month away.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. And that's exactly what this move by Grassley is.
