One hallmark of the Trump Era is that Republicans in particular can frequently be heard using their outside voices. It seems to be dawning on far too many people that in these shameless times, there are really no consequences for hypocrisy or lies so long as your base of support rallies around you. It's a recipe for some ruthless power politics.

So we're reminded amid the furor over the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, whom Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has accused of attempted rape in high school. As various Respected Conservative Legal Minds lose their shit on Twitter, slandering middle school teachers in manic desperation, others are once again declaring their cold, calculating cynicism about the whole process.

Few have embraced the ethical Wild West of the current moment as passionately as Senate Majority Mitch McConnell, who, while he reportedly preferred other candidates to Kavanaugh during the selection process, seems determined to force it through now. He gave a speech Friday at the Values Voters Summit, the annual reminder that you can name your event whatever you want but it doesn't make it true. (At one point, a speaker suggested Kavanaugh was being subjected to "political waterboarding." How many in attendance supported actual waterboarding?) Anyway, McConnell pretty much gave away the game:

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BREAKING: GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell says regardless of an accusation of attempted rape, they will ‘plow right through’ with Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/lHDikSxnk0 — NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 21, 2018

The Republican leader in the Senate just declared they will get the nomination through, full stop, with no regard for whether an attempted rape allegation against the nominee is credible. It doesn't factor into the equation. Whatever happens in the proposed hearing featuring Ford and Kavanaugh next week seems to be irrelevant, a stunning reminder that the proceedings are likely to be a sham remake of the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearings. This admission earned rousing applause from the Values Voters.

Not content with that, though, other Republicans involved in this onrushing national disgrace were also eager to demonstrate that Ford will not get an honest hearing before this Senate. Mike Davis is Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley's lead guy on judicial confirmations. Mike Davis is also a guy who likes to tweet:

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If you want to know why Ford doesn't trust Grassley's staff to conduct an impartial investigation, check out these two tweets from Grassley's chief counsel, which he subsequently deleted



There is no intention to uncover the truth, only to confirm Kavanaugh by any means necessary pic.twitter.com/82LBXxqoOJ — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 20, 2018

Davis would have led a proposed committee investigation into Ford's allegations, possibly interviewing her himself. He would have prepped the chairman for the hearings. Here he is declaring outright that they are not interested in whether Kavanaugh did what he's accused of. They're "unfazed" by that. They're just "determined" to get him through regardless.

No wonder Ford is requesting an FBI inquiry into her claims, something that is expressly in the purview of that agency in its role providing background checks on nominees to federal posts. The White House could ask the Bureau to look into this, but it won't. After all, Donald Trump runs the show over there, and he's fairly invested in tamping down on sexual misconduct allegations in general. After all, he's been accused by 19 different women. It was no surprise to see him finally jump on Twitter Friday morning to try to undermine Ford's account.

Republicans are barely even putting on the show anymore. They know The Base will not desert them for ramming Kavanaugh's nomination through—it would be a Win for the president, and it would Own The Libs. In the Wild West, power and force are all that matter. McConnell et al. have the power, and they plan to wield it just as they have for years now.



Jack Holmes Politics Editor Jack Holmes is the Politics Editor at Esquire, where he writes daily and edits the Politics Blog with Charles P Pierce.

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