Kavanaugh, the Clintons, and growing older

This is probably my last post on the Kavanaugh nomination (aside from references to this as a factor in mid-term elections). Thankfully, the moment has (predictably) died down. But this has been a fascinating, revealing, and exceedingly sad episode-- with so many angles-- so my apologies (as necessary) for continuing to think about it and discuss it.

The latest: This is another moment when I realize I'm older. I've been comparing Kavanaugh's case to the far worse case of Bill (and Hillary) Clinton-- as if people experienced "it" or remember it well. Most people probably know/remember Lewinsky. (Her case would count as assault by today's standards. But we can put that aside if you don't want to judge him/her by contemporary standards. Just make sure you're consistent with that!) Unfortunately, people may not know-- or have somehow forgotten-- Broddrick, Jones, and Willey.

Here's a recent article by a liberal trying to make a big deal of this today. (Make sure to check out the amazing details of Gloria Steinem's defense of Bill at the time.) Unfortunately, we have few liberals today-- and those we have lack the knowledge or courage to apply their standards consistently and publicly.

To be clear: This is not a matter of judging Clinton as a president. In that, I'd rate him as (easily) 2nd or maybe 3rd of post-WWII presidents, behind Reagan and maybe Eisenhower. It's not even a matter of judging his sexual predation and Hillary's attacks on his accusers and her enablement of his predatory behavior. But it is to say that if you're going to make it a big deal of the allegations against Kavanaugh-- to avoid looking like a rube or a tool-- then you must make a far-bigger deal of the Clintons (esp. given their continued/recent public prominence).