THREAD. An overarching thought on Judge Brett Kavanaugh & "perjury."
1. After analyzing the evidence in several lengthy threads, I believe the "perjury" claims against Kavanaugh lack merit. #SCOTUS #KavanaughHearings #KavanaughConfirmationHearings
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4. I believe that Kavanaugh's defenders generally have the better of the argument - see my new threads from earlier today, in case you missed them - but even if his critics prevail on a point here or there, there's another issue.
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5. If thousands of smart people around the nation look long and hard enough at anyone's testimony, especially a nominee who testified for dozens of hours at three hearings, they can find - or manufacture - what might look like errors in the testimony.
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6. The issue then becomes, as to any specific alleged error, is the mistake (a) significant and (b) intentional? Or is it, as
@BenjaminWittes puts it, "minor and inadvertent"?https://twitter.com/benjaminwittes/status/1038531832168554497 …Show this thread -
7. (This is why perjury has a "materiality" requirement. The supposedly false statement must have "a natural tendency to influence, or [be] capable of influencing, the decision of the decision-making body" in question.)http://bit.ly/2MfbY50
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8. As I've explained at length, based on reviewing the testimonial and documentary evidence, I believe that Judge Kavanaugh has given truthful, accurate, and complete testimony, on all issues where his testimony has been questioned.
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9. But even if one can identify SOME specific snippet of testimony that might be erroneous, and can further show that the defense of the testimony's correctness doesn't hold water, the alleged error must also clearly be (a) important and (b) deliberate.
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10. I respectfully submit that none of the alleged errors in Kavanaugh's testimony meet this standard - at least from the vantage point of a moderate U.S. senator who might cast the deciding vote on his nomination, as opposed to a partisan on either side.
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11. Critics of Kavanaugh should focus on his jurisprudence, which liberals and progressives DO have legitimate reason to question, and refrain from attacks on his character, which are not warranted. .
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End of conversation
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