Full Disclosure

That is the title of Stormy Daniels’ soon to be released tell-all biography, the latest in a growing pile of books with damaging revelations about Trump’s past and/or current bad behavior of various sorts. Of course the most interesting parts of the book for most people will be those detailing her sexual and other interactions with Trump beginning in 2006, when his son Barron was four months old. These include graphic and detailed descriptions of his distinctive genitalia, which presumably will finally tip off Melania to the truth about Daniels’ claims, if there was really any question in her mind, which I tend to doubt despite her public pronouncements. According to the book, Trump told Daniels that at that point he and his wife already had separate bedrooms, and it is really hard to imagine given what we know about Trump that Melania was that oblivious! Another interesting detail involves a call Trump got from Hillary Clinton while Daniels was with him, after which he was effusive with praise for Hillary! Of course Trump will probably brand anything related to him in the book as complete fiction, and it still amazes me that there are still so many gullible suckers out there who will believe anything he says. 

Meanwhile, what really matters the most right now is full disclosure in Brett Kavanaugh’s supreme court confirmation process, which has been unexpectedly threatened at nearly the last minute by a bombshell 36 year old accusation by psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford of sexual assault by a drunken 17-year-old Kavanaugh at a party during high school. Although she wanted to remain anonymous, she was forced to go public after the story was leaked, but remains a very reluctant accuser, and has reportedly already had to leave her home because of harassment and death threats! Although this is a political minefield for Republicans with women voters, with everyone mindful of the 1991 Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas debacle, they have actually been very smart in their handling of it so far. Nearly everyone, even including Trump, has refrained from publicly insulting or denying the charges of the accuser, and they have all stated that she should be heard. Although the invitation by Republicans to both Ford and Kavanaugh to testify in either open or closed session of the Senate Judiciary Committee next Monday seems at first glance to be a reasonable response, the Republicans’ refusal to call any additional witnesses, particularly the other man reportedly involved in the attack, who has refused to voluntarily testify, as well as their refusal to call for an FBI probe into the allegations, as requested by both the Democrats and Ford herself, all but guarantees that such a hearing would result in a he-said-she-said stalemate, with Kavanaugh probably having the advantage given his experience in testifying in such a setting. That would almost certainly give the Republicans the cover they need to proceed with a party-line approval of the nomination in both the committee and full Senate. However, it now appears that Ford is unwilling to testify in the absence of other witnesses and/or an FBI investigation. Unfortunately that would probably significantly damage her credibility and lead to the same result, despite loud Democratic protests. I really doubt that any Republicans care much if this leaves a cloud of suspicion hanging over Kavanaugh. In view of all this, I wouldn’t be surprised if at this point Ford wishes that she never started this process!