The spectacle of the all-male Republican members of the Judiciary Committee hiding behind a female prosecutor did it’s job. It allowed Republicans to never actually acknowledge Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as a person, and it allowed her story to be picked at in purely partisan terms while Republicans beat their chests about how “respectful” they were of her testimony. It was useful in the “forget find the truth, just attack Democrats” strategy that the Republicans unfolded before, during, and after the hearing. But it still doesn’t hide the fact that three decades after Anita Hill was grilled, many of the same Republican men are still sitting on the committee and not one Republican woman has joined them.
But Chuck Grassley, who has been a true font of Republican wisdom throughout these proceedings, has a reason why. As reported by the Washington Post, the committee just hasn’t been able to “attract” Republican women. Because it’s so hard.
Grassley: It’s a lot of work — maybe they don’t want to do it.
To be fair, Grassley also accused Republican men of being too lazy to take a seat on the Judiciary Committee. According to Chuck, Mitch McConnell had to “practically beg” to get the last four seats on the committee filled … by people who would rubber stamp McConnell’s court-busting tactics.
What’s really notable about that excuse is that, in his begging, McConnell apparently forgot to beg any women. Grassley didn’t think of that. But then, neither McConnell nor Grassley really think of women all that much.