Attorneys for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford have confirmed in a public statement that Dr. Ford will be present to give testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee at 10:00 am next Thursday. But they also note that they have not come to an agreement on more than the barest framework of what that hearing will look like.
She has agreed to move forward with a hearing even though the committee has refused to subpoena Mark Judge. They have also refused to invite other witnesses who are essential for a fair hearing that arrives at the truth about the sexual assault. A number of important procedural and logistical issues remain unresolved, although they will not impede the hearing taking place. Among those issues is who on the Majority side will be asking the questions, whether senators or staff attorneys. We were told no decision has been made on this important issue, even though various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions. Nor were we told when we would have that answer or answers to other unresolved issues. We look forward to hearing back from the Majority staff as soon as possible on these important matters.
The raw cowardice of Sen. Chuck Grassley and his Republican allies in not being willing to even address Dr. Ford directly, in the hearings, as well as their immediate assertion that they would call no other witnesses to confirm her testimony, not even the Kavanaugh friend she says was a direct witness to the assault, continues to be remarkable.
The decision to block all other witnesses from testifying could be easily overcome by an announcement by any two Republican senators that they will not be able to confidently vote for Kavanaugh's nomination unless those witnesses are heard from. So far none in the Senate have had that courage; public outrage may yet change their minds.
Even the Anita Hill hearings were conducted with more dignity than this, and the committee’s treatment of Anita Hill has for decades been considered a low point in Senate history.