memeorandum: The power of a named accuser: Kavanaugh's future now hangs in the balance (Stephen Collinson/CNN)

8:45 AM ET, September 17, 2018

Top Items:

California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault — Earlier this summer, Christine Blasey Ford wrote a confidential letter to a senior Democratic lawmaker alleging that Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh sexually assaulted …

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The Daily Beast:

Trump Believes There Is a ‘Conspiracy’ to Torpedo the Kavanaugh Nomination — The president and his team are not deterred by the sexual assault allegations being made against their Supreme Court nominee. If anything, their back is up even more. — In the hours after a 51-year-old …

Discussion: Politico, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Mediaite and Talking Points Memo

Axios:

Scoop: GOP plans to play hardball on Kavanaugh — Strategists advising Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh plan to use aggressive tactics this week in response to the public accusation of a “stumbling drunk” sexual assault in high school that instantly imperiled his confirmation, top sources tell Jonathan Swan:

Discussion: CBS News, CNN, The Daily Caller, Law & Crime, Washington Times, POLITICUSUSA and Roll Call

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Flake opposes quick vote on Kavanaugh, putting confirmation in doubt — Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court hit a serious roadblock Sunday night, as GOP Senate Judiciary Committee member Jeff Flake said he is uncomfortable voting to advance Kavanaugh's nomination later this week …

David French / National Review:

Weighing the Allegations against Brett Kavanaugh — They're serious but not solid. — The allegations against Brett Kavanaugh — outlined now on the record in the Washington Post by Palo Alto University professor Christine Blasey Ford — are substantial and serious.

Discussion: Townhall, The Other McCain, Front Page Magazine, LifeZette, The Daily Beast, NPR and Vox

Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: Can Kavanaugh hang on? — DRIVING THE DAY — IN NORMAL TIMES, BRETT KAVANAUGH would be under tremendous pressure to abandon his bid for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. His accuser — Christine Blasey Ford — has spoken on the record …

Axios:

Kavanaugh accuser willing to testify before Senate Judiciary Committee — Debra Katz, the attorney for Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault in the 1980s, told NBC's “Today” that Ford believes the incident was “attempted rape” …

Discussion: Political Wire

Stephen Collinson / CNN:
The power of a named accuser: Kavanaugh's future now hangs in the balance

Discussion: Political Wire

CNN:
Read the letter Christine Blasey Ford sent accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct

Discussion: The Dworkin Report, Betsy's Page, Instapundit, The Daily Beast and Mediaite

John Wagner / Washington Post:
Kavanaugh accuser willing to testify, her lawyer says; White House's Kellyanne Conway says, ‘She should be heard’

Discussion: The Hill, Politico and Axios

CNN:
Two Republican senators urge committee to hear out Kavanaugh accuser before vote

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, POLITICUSUSA and Power Line

David Lat / New York Times:
Delay the Vote — for Kavanaugh, for His Accuser and for the Court

Discussion: Above the Law, Talking Points Memo, twitchy.com, Mother Jones and Mediaite

David Frum / The Atlantic:
Delay the Kavanaugh Vote

Discussion: Breitbart, POLITICUSUSA and Axios

Bloomberg:
Key Republicans Want Kavanaugh Charge Probed as Trump Backs Pick

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and BloombergQuint

John Fund / National Review: Democrats Want Their Pound of Kavanaugh Flesh

Sarah Quinlan / RedState:
The Supreme Court Is Too Important to Rush a Confirmation Vote for Brett Kavanaugh

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones and Raw Story

Ashe Schow / Daily Wire:
Kavanaugh's Accuser Has Now Come Forward

Discussion: Townhall, RedState, KTLA and HuffPost

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Brett Kavanaugh's Confirmation at Risk After Accusation by Christine Blasey Ford

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Simple Justice, alicublog, Mediaite, Townhall, The Daily Caller, KTLA, Law & Crime, Breitbart, CNN, Splinter, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Roll Call

Sean Sullivan / Washington Post:
GOP senator: Hold off on Kavanaugh vote until accuser is heard

Discussion: The Atlantic, The Gateway Pundit, Roll Call, Political Wire, Washington Times, Mother Jones, Washington Free Beacon, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Mediaite, Los Angeles Times, Axios and Towleroad Gay News

Robby Soave / Hit & Run:
Brett Kavanaugh's Sexual Assault Accuser Has Come Forward, and Her #MeToo Story Might Disqualify Him

Discussion: Raw Story, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo and HuffPost

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Woman Alleging Misconduct by Kavanaugh in High School Steps Forward

Discussion: Washington Post, Pressing Issues and Politico

Eliana Johnson / Politico:
Kavanaugh faces his #MeToo test to reach Supreme Court

Discussion: twitchy.com, Breitbart and The Hill

Hillary Rodham Clinton / The Atlantic:

American Democracy Is in Crisis — It's been nearly two years since Donald Trump won enough Electoral College votes to become president of the United States. On the day after, in my concession speech, I said, “We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.” I hoped that my fears for our future were overblown.

Discussion: Washington Post, NY State of Politics, HuffPost and Balloon Juice

Raphael Satter / Associated Press:

New leak shows Julian Assange sought Russian visa in 2010 — LONDON (AP) — Julian Assange had just pulled off one of the biggest scoops in journalistic history, splaying the innards of American diplomacy across the web. But technology firms were cutting ties to his website, WikiLeaks …

Daphne Merkin / Vulture:

Introducing Soon-Yi Previn As controversies tumbled around her, the daughter of Mia Farrow and wife of Woody Allen stayed silent for decades. No more. — Once, she was seen as a victim, her youth and relative innocence taken advantage of by a powerful, much older man who sucked her into his vortex.

Discussion: New York Daily News, New York Times, Deadline, Associated Press, The Guardian, Althouse, Page Six, Mashable, Jezebel and IndieWire

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Behind the scenes: Republican fears and opportunities — A source who has seen recent polling, conducted by the Republican National Committee, told me the data show that a majority of Trump voters don't believe the mountain of evidence that Democrats will win back the House in November.

Discussion: RedState

Associated Press: Grim warnings for White House, Republicans ahead of election

New York Times:

Bloomberg May Run for President as a Democrat. His Views on Policing and #MeToo Could Be a Problem. — SEATTLE — Michael R. Bloomberg is actively considering a campaign for president as a Democrat in 2020, concluding that it would be his only path to the White House even as he voices stark disagreements …

Cynthia Littleton / Variety:

Tom Arnold and Mark Burnett in Physical Altercation at Evening Before Emmy Party — The tension between Tom Arnold and Mark Burnett boiled over into a physical altercation at Sunday's Evening Before Emmy party, a fundraiser for the Motion Picture Television Fund. — Details of the incident are still unclear.

Discussion: The Hill, Towleroad Gay News, Hollywood Life, Joe.My.God., TMZ.com and The Daily Beast, more at Mediagazer »

Arshad Mohammed / Reuters:

Exclusive: Pompeo seeks rapprochement with alienated U.S. diplomats — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has nearly doubled promotions of top American diplomats as he seeks to restore diplomatic ties with a workforce alienated by his predecessor, Rex Tillerson.

Discussion: Political Wire

Meagan Flynn / Washington Post:

Noah's Ark except it's a school bus: Truck driver rescues 64 dogs and cats from floods of Hurricane Florence — There is nothing like a meal at the Waffle House after driving more than 60 animals from the South Carolina coast to southern Alabama inside of a school bus. Tony Alsup can attest.

Discussion: Greenville News