Democrats are dismantling our justice system -- founded on the presumption of innocence -- to advance whatever political objective or narrative du jour strikes their fancy.
This dangerous trajectory should alarm every American.
Take far-left Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a vocal member of the highly controversial “Squad.” Following a recent #FakeNews hit piece by The New York Times that smeared Justice Brett Kavanaugh with a decades-old, unsubstantiated allegation of sexual misconduct at a drunken dorm party while a student at Yale -- based on third-party hearsay -- Pressley swiftly filed an impeachment resolution on Tuesday to remove Kavanaugh from the bench.
Facts and due process be damned.
There was no respect for America’s time-honored process of gathering evidence -- or lack thereof -- vetting the allegations and investigating to corroborate and/or debunk the claims before destroying a man’s life, career and reputation. Those vitally important aspects of an ethical and just society are frighteningly unnecessary to Democratic politicians and the #MeToo mob because, in their naive worldview, any woman who makes an allegation of sexual impropriety against a man must automatically be believed.
No questions asked.
In a statement to WBUR radio station, Pressley said: “I believe Christine Blasey Ford. I believe Deborah Ramirez. It is our responsibility to collectively affirm the dignity and humanity of survivors.” Of course, the radical freshman congresswoman afforded no such “dignity and humanity” for the accused despite the fact that The New York Times had to subsequently correct key elements of its garbage hit piece. For example, The Times left out this exculpatory evidence: The alleged “victim” declined to be interviewed, and friends say she couldn’t recall the incident.
Significant omission, wouldn’t you say?
There were also no witnesses present the night in question who could verify the salacious claims, but The Times ran with the politically fueled smear anyway, citing third-party hearsay and 30-year-old rumors as a “source.”
Media malpractice at its worst.
Yet none of that stopped Pressley from going after Justice Kavanaugh and filing an impeachment resolution with the House Judiciary Committee. In addition, scores of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, Beto O’Rourke, Julian Castro and Pete Buttigieg called for Kavanaugh to be impeached, thus enraging the president.
On Sept. 16, he tweeted, “’The New York Times walks back report on Kavanaugh assault claim.’ @FoxandFriends. The one who is actually being assaulted is Justice Kavanaugh - Assaulted by lies and Fake News! This is all about the LameStream Media working with their partner, the Dems.”
Trump also tweeted this missive: “I call for the Resignation of everybody at The New York Times involved in the Kavanaugh SMEAR story, and while you’re at it, the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax, which is just as phony! They’ve taken the Old Grey Lady and broken her down, destroyed her virtue and ruined her reputation...” And added: “She can never recover, and will never return to Greatness, under current Management. The Times is DEAD, long live The New York Times!”
It’s also important to note that prior to Justice Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, the esteemed judge cleared half a dozen FBI background checks throughout his storied 26-year career serving our country. The FBI also conducted an investigation into decades-old sexual misconduct allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford during his circus confirmation hearings and found no evidence to support them.
But all that was irrelevant to unethical progressives with an obvious political agenda who will stop at nothing to harass and malign conservatives whose ideology they disagree with -- including Supreme Court justices.
The president is right. The libel laws in the U.S. must be changed to protect Americans from false accusations, character assassinations and unwarranted smears.
Undoubtedly, we’ve reached the tipping point. It’s time for Congress to act.
_____
Adriana Cohen is a syndicated columnist with the Boston Herald.