On Thursday, Sen. Lindsey Graham delivered perhaps the best line of the entire Supreme Court confirmation battle involving Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He summed up the idea that protesters are pushing a witch hunt against Kavanaugh over accusations of sexual assault that have crumbled in recent weeks.
Responding to a protester, Graham asked, “Why don’t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?”
This one line perfectly summed up the idea that the proceedings against Kavanaugh are nothing more than a witch hunt — a process designed to destroy the reputation of a fine judge.
Graham went on to say, “It will never be enough. If you don’t believe he is a gang rapist, if you don’t believe he is a stumbling, bumbling drunk, serial sexual predator, maybe you will believe he lied about how much he drank in high school, that he threw ice at a party — excuse me, in a bar — or he doesn’t have the temperament, that he didn’t handle being destroyed well. Enough!”
As he said, “Why don’t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?”
After many private meetings and long public hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) finally came forward with a sexual assault allegation from Christine Blasey Ford. Ford’s lawyers stalled, and even presented the ridiculous argument that Ford was afraid of flying due to the alleged assault (prosecutor Rachel Mitchell destroyed this argument by asking Ford about her vacations to remote Pacific islands).
Two more accusations came forward, and two more after that — the later ones were withdrawn, so most people gloss over the fact they were made in the first place. None of the accusations was backed up with witnesses or evidence, but Democrats have insisted they “Believe Survivors” and have explained that Kavanaugh does not deserve the presumption of innocent until proven guilty.
These accusations have seriously damaged Kavanaugh and his family. When the judge testified last week, he choked back tears while recalling his daughter’s desire to pray for his accuser.
Now that the allegations of sexual assault appear to have fallen apart, Democrats have launched new attacks, suggesting that the judge lied under oath.
In light of this, Graham’s water quip seems particularly fitting.
The line is a reference to the tragic practice of “ordeal by water,” associated with the witch hunts of the 1500s and 1600s. According to the theory, putting a woman in water and weighing her down would judge whether or not she is a witch. If she sank, she was innocent (oh, but she died anyway…), while if she did not sink, she was a witch (to be burned at the stake).
This cruel practice essentially ensured that every woman accused of witchcraft would die. Similarly, Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual assault, and in the eyes of the activists who “Believe Survivors” — even without evidence or corroboration — he is already guilty. No matter what he does to prove his innocence, he will always fail in their eyes.
“Why don’t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?” Graham quipped. If Kavanaugh floats, he’s guilty and must be crucified in the court of public opinion. If he sinks, well he won’t be serving on the Supreme Court, will he?
A cloture vote is scheduled for Friday.
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