At this hour, Florence isn’t the only storm threatening to wreck the Mid-Atlantic region. Sen. Diane Feinstein has set off a firestorm that threatens to burn out any last shred of decency existing in Washington, DC. 

Feinstein announced she has a “secret document” alleging some act by Kavanaugh when he was in high school. High school. She’s not going to tell you what’s in the document. However, she has handed over this “secret document” to the feds for investigation. 

It’s a ploy out of the Sen. Joe McCarthy playbook. There can be zero response beyond, “Have You No Shame?”

The “Secret Document”

“I have received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court,” Feinstein said in a statement. “That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities.”

Do you hear the ghost of Sen. Joseph McCarthy? “I have here in my hand a list of 205 … a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist party.” Did he have them? Well, no.

According to The Intercept, which first reported the story, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have been pressuring Feinstein to show them the document. For the moment, she is refusing. (But that won’t last.)

“[The document] purportedly describes an incident that was relayed to someone affiliated with Stanford University, who authored the letter and sent it to Rep. Anna Eshoo.” The Intercept goes on:

Different sources provided different accounts of the contents of the letter, and some of the sources said they themselves have heard different versions, but the one consistent theme was that it describes an incident involving Kavanaugh and a woman while they were in high school.

The woman is now being repped by Debra Katz. Who is she? A “whistleblower attorney who works with #MeToo survivors.”

Did You See That?

So here’s what we have: Something may or may not have happened between Kavanaugh and a girl decades ago when both were in high school. Different people tell different stories about what allegedly happened. The woman wants no part of this. Is she even the instigator of the letter?

Someone relays this alleged incident to somebody affiliated with Stanford. The woman? Did she tell the Stanford person in confidence? Tell the person in passing? Tell her recently or 20 years ago?

Was it relayed someone else? Someone who had heard the story at some point and realized the story could be used to sabotage Kavanaugh? 

Does the letter written — not by the woman, mind you — accurately reflect the woman’s recollection? Was it blown up to turn Kavanaugh into Bill Cosby? Did a light-hearted “Oh, he got a little too frisky in the backseat” memory get turned into “Kavanaugh tried to rape her”?

Is there the slightest bit of reason to trust the chain of information? After all, we’re talking about the same ideologues that insisted the Mexican-American granddaughter of Holocaust survivors was flashing white supremacy signs during Kavanaugh’s hearings. 

We know nothing. Feinstein knows nothing. But that didn’t stop her. She has wittingly and deliberation tossed this anonymous smear into the media cyclone, inferring Kavanaugh guilty of a crime worthy of federal attention, knowing darn well what will happen. Can anything be more unjust or unfair? “Have You No Shame, Sen. Feinstein?”

We Know What’s Coming

As sure as the Carolina coast is wet, that letter or the allegations themselves will be public. Kavanaugh will be painted as a pervert of the highest order. Or hypocrite. Certainly, Feinstein is suggesting he is a criminal.

The Accuser’s name will be known to the world. Her wish to stay out of it is irrelevant. Right now, every yearbook of every high school near Kavanaugh’s all-boys school is being combed. Emails and texts and Twitter messages are being sent. The woman will be revealed. She will be forced to come forward. She will have her name tattooed on TV screens for weeks. 

Even if she had just made a casual remark with no intention of hurting Kavanaugh, her life as she knew it is over. She will have her life turned into a 24/7 cable saga.

Ask Anita Hill. She too wanted anonymity.

And Brett Kavanaugh? He and his family will be dragged through hell. 

It’s Not About #MeToo. It’s About Abortion

Make no mistake. Feinstein wouldn’t be waving around some third-hand anonymous decades-old allegation and shipping it to the Feds if Kavanaugh were pro-choice. If Democrats weren’t worried his vote on the court might threaten Roe v. Wade, they wouldn’t give a hoot what someone says Kavanaugh did in high school. 

Don’t believe me? You’ve got on the record allegations of Congressman and DNC deputy chair Keith Ellison abusing women. Hardly a word about it.

This is about abortion. Period. But why should we be surprised? After all, one must do whatever is necessary to preserve the right to rip babies piece-by-piece out of the womb. Who cares if two more lives are destroyed?

UPDATE: The Guardian is reporting on what dastardly deed Kavanaugh is accused of committing. Sources tell The Guardian that Kavanaugh and another male are accused of locking a girl in a room during a high school party. She quickly got out of the room, but the incident upset her. Yup. That’s it. Left unknown: Was it a stupid prank? Was it silly payback for something silly the girl had done? (High school parties being high school parties.) Did they unlock the door and that’s how she got out? Did they lock her in there because she was wasted and threatening to drive? (High school parties being high school parties.)

Most importantly, who in the world thought using this to try and smear and destroy a good man was a good idea and why didn’t Feinstein just toss it into the trash?