North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer, running for Senate against Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, has put together perhaps the most appalling string of comments on Brett Kavanaugh and sexual assault of any Republican in the country. Cramer started by saying that Kavanaugh’s assault of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was no big deal because it “never went anywhere” and then said that “even if it’s all true, does it disqualify him?” Now Cramer has broadened to attacking the entire #MeToo movement as “movement toward victimization.”
Kramer decried the idea “That you’re just supposed to believe somebody because they said it happened,” opting instead for the idea that you’re supposed to believe somebody because they said it didn’t … even if, like Kavanaugh, they did so with a series of obvious lies and glaring evasions. But crucially, Kavanaugh and so many others have said they didn’t do it while in possession of a penis, and that, my friends, makes all the difference.
Invoking his wife, daughters, mother and mother-in-law, Mr. Cramer said: “They cannot understand this movement toward victimization. They are pioneers of the prairie. These are tough people whose grandparents were tough and great-grandparents were tough.”
And, what, tough people don’t get assaulted or raped or molested?
Heitkamp responded powerfully, invoking her time as a state attorney general working with victims, but also, like Cramer, bringing the issue close to home:
“I think it’s wonderful that his wife has never had an experience, and good for her, and it’s wonderful his mom hasn’t,” she said. “My mom did. And I think it affected my mom her whole life. And it didn’t make her less strong.”
With tears welling in her eyes, Ms. Heitkamp stared intently at a reporter and continued: “And I want you to put this in there, it did not make my mom less strong that she was a victim. She got stronger and she made us strong. And to suggest that this movement doesn’t make women strong and stronger is really unfortunate.”
Cramer evidently thinks that toughness for women means hiding the horrible things men have done to them, staying silent rather than fighting back and calling out abusers and attackers and rapists. It’s a telling piece of wishful thinking on his part, one designed to keep people like him in power.
We have to fight tooth and nail to keep this party from continuing to control the Senate. Can you give $3 to elect Democrats in Nevada and Texas?