Nobody knows exactly who did what to whom, where, and how 35 years ago at a drunken high school party in Maryland. In contrast, everybody knows exactly what Sens. Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein are up to with their delays and alarmed proclamations about the need to hold up the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

The accusation of Christine Ford, who says Kavanaugh groped or sexually assaulted her in 1982, when he was 17 and she was 15, should not be entirely dismissed, even though they are clearly part of the Democrats' cynical plan to deny President Trump his textualist nominee.

The Democrats' dishonesty on the matter is jaw-dropping. Feinstein sat for six weeks on a letter she now claims deserves excruciating investigation. If she genuinely thought it deserved investigation on its merits — if she had regarded sexual assault as more important that political chicanery — she would have asked Kavanaugh about it, or called immediately for the FBI to investigate. Instead, she behaved as a partisan whose only goal is to derail a nomination as late as possible so as to damage Republicans' chances of confirming anyone before the election, which she and her party hope will deliver them congressional majorities.

Schumer, meanwhile, has been coming up with excuses to delay confirmations since at least Miguel Estrada’s nomination in 2001. He constantly shifts his grounds, but rarely if ever to a position giving due weight to logic or fact.

In short, Senate Democrats are not good-faith actors, and should not be taken seriously by Republican senators or by news media.

At the same time, as presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway noted Monday, Kavanaugh's accuser deserves to be heard and not attacked. Kavanaugh should be asked, under oath, about this incident, if for no other reason than that he denied it categorically last week, before some corroborating evidence from a therapist’s session came to light.

In a statement Monday, Kavanaugh said, "This is a completely false allegation ... Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday ... I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the committee deems appropriate."

There may be no way to nail down the truth or falsehood of Ford’s allegations. Even if the facts were established ,there is probably room for various interpretations, and even if an interpretation could be agreed, the question remains about whether an incident that happened 35 years ago, amid drinking and among teenagers, should ruin the reputation and career of an admired public servant.

It’s probable that nobody remembers anything clearly. But still, questioning Ford and questioning Kavanaugh under oath could provide more certainty for senators in both parties who are willing to consider voting for confirmation in good faith.

This questioning shouldn’t be in public, which would recreate the shameful circus of the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings, which is what Democrats want, of course. It should be behind closed doors with no television cameras. The likes of Feinstein and Schumer, and Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, have shown how happy they are to smear and impugn Kavanaugh dishonestly for political points. Major media have shown themselves too credulous or keen on these theatrics.

The week is young. Ford can be questioned Tuesday under oath by Judiciary Committee members. Kavanaugh can respond Wednesday or Thursday. If any intellectually honest senators still have worries, then the panel chairman can act accordingly. But the cries for delay from Schumer and Feinstein should be ignored.