As soon as she said she would testify, it was clear the Senate Judiciary Committee should hear from Christine Blasey Ford, the Palo Alto University psychology professor who alleges that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when the two were in high school in the 1980s. Thankfully, enough Republicans grasped this instead of attacking her, the Democrats or the outlets reporting the late-breaking story. A confirmation vote set for Thursday has now been delayed, and Ford and Kavanaugh, who denies the allegations, will both testify before the committee next Monday.
It's worth noting that it seems unlikely that Ford _ knowing the way her life would be turned upside-down this month _ made up this story. It's also worth noting that nothing about Kavanaugh's history suggests he would have tried to rape someone. But one of these two people is not being honest.
Given the intensity of the nomination fight _ and the fact that some senators have already engaged in look-at-me theatrics _ next Monday's hearing could be a circus. For the good of democracy, here's hoping the Judiciary Committee minimizes the posturing and maximizes the effort to evaluate the testimony of Ford and Kavanaugh. This may be asking too much in a polarized era in which the nomination was a partisan battle from the beginning. But a straightforward search for the truth is sorely needed.
