BRETT KAVANAUGH/GOP/ME TOO/SEX ABUSE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WOMEN: “Republicans have tried to walk a precarious line in recent weeks, expressing sympathy and support for victims of sexual assault, like Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, while at the same time suggesting that the #MeToo movement has become a partisan weapon. The nuanced approach has crashed head on into a major obstacle: President Donald Trump, who at a Tuesday [10-2-18] night rally ridiculed Ford’s partial memory of Kavanaugh’s alleged assault, just a week after he suggested that many public accusers are seeking fame and money. That is not the preferred approach of many prominent Republicans and lawmakers, who understand that many female voters are likely to be outraged by signs that they are dismissing women who say they are victims of sexual assault. White House aides and congressional leadership had hoped Trump would stick with the line of Kavanaugh’s plight as a culture-war story of liberals running amok to smear good men for political gain.”
–Nancy Cook, “Trump muddles GOP’s #MeToo message,” Politico, October 3, 2018 6:36 pm