Three women now accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of serious sexual misconduct, but with no corroborating witnesses or evidence for any allegations, prominent conservative columnist and author Kurt Schlichter says Democrats must be defeated in their attempt to defeat Kavanaugh through "a burning garbage fire of lies."
Schlichter is a senior columnist at townhall.com and author of the forthcoming book "Militant Normals: How Regular Americans are Rebelling Against the Elite to Reclaim Our Democracy."
The latest allegation against Kavanaugh comes from Michael Avenatti, attorney for Stormy Daniels, whose client claims Kavanaugh spiked the punch at high school parties in the early 1980's and then helped orchestrate gang rapes of incapacitated women.
Schlichter says the onslaught of eleventh hour allegations against Kavanaugh from more than 35 years ago is a blatant smear campaign that must be defeated.
"It's critical. The Democrats have to lose. They cannot win. This cannot stand," said Schlichter, predicting that if Kavanaugh were to withdraw the Democrats would bring forth similar tactics against any other nominee.
Instead, he says the GOP must plow through as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed to do and let Democrats know they'll do it again when and if a liberal justice retires while Republicans control the Senate and the White House.
But Schlichter says this is actually about principles far bigger than which party has the majority on Capitol Hill. Schlichter, who is also a trial lawyer, says Democrats are perfectly happy to cast aside the hallmarks of our justice system.
"For cheap political advantage, you have Democrats getting rid of concepts like the right to confront your accuser, the right to cross-examine your accuser, the right to a presumption of innocence. All that out the window for cheap political advantage.
"This isn't just a judicial seat. This is the most basic foundations of our Anglo-American jurisprudence. This is an attack on what it means to be a free people that embraces liberty," said Schlichter.
While some on the right wonder if Kavanaugh should withdraw because he would have such a tarnished reputation on the court, Schlichter says it's more important to defeat the Democrats and allies like Avenatti in their efforts to take down Kavanaugh.
"We must say no. No to these last-minute attacks, no to these manifest lies. No to Stripper Matlock (Avenatti). Does Stripper Matlock sound like the guy you'd go to if you really, really believed you had a meritorious case.
"I'm a trial lawyer in Los Angeles. I know about guys like this. I deal with guys like this. You don't go to guys like this if you are serious. You go to guys like this if you're trying to get on MSNBC. You go to guys like this if you have a bogus claim that you know he'll scream and yell about," said Schlichter.
In our conversation, Schlichter also dismissed the accuser for supposedly knowing about regular drugging and gang rape and yet continuing to attend such parties.
As for this week, Schlichter says it's a 50-50 proposition that the initial accuser, Dr. Christine Ford appears at all for Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. He says the Democrats and media will laud Ford as compelling and brilliant regardless of her performance.
He expects Kavanaugh to do well but not change the minds of any Democrats because their only motivation is to protect abortion.
"I think Kavanaugh will be objectively compelling. I think the Democrats don't care what he says and are willing to sacrifice him, his reputation, and his family on the altar of killing babies," said Schlichter.
He says getting Kavanaugh confirmed is imperative, but if Democrats peel off two Republicans to defeat the nomination, he hopes Trump and the Republicans make this fight the central message of the midterm election season.
"You, the American people, will decide. If you vote Republican, you are going to take the side of justice and truth and if you vote Democrat, you're going to take the side of lies," said Schlichter.
