Sen. Jeff Flake has folded … again.

His tough talk apparently is just that.

Talk.

Again.

When Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward with an accusation of sexual abuse against Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Flake, who is on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that he wouldn’t vote to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate until the committee had heard from Blasey Ford.

“I would not vote yes until we hear more from the woman who’s come forward,” Flake said.

Do you want to get to the truth, or ...

Attorneys for Blasey Ford say she’s willing to testify before the committee, but only after the FBI does an investigation into her allegations. It is not an unusual request. It’s what the FBI does. If anything, it’s what the Senate should demand – an unbiased investigation into the decades-old allegations. THEN hold a hearing.

The Senate got advice on how to do this correctly from Anita Hill, who went through an ugly process before the judiciary committee during the 1991 hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas, whom she accused of sexually inappropriate behavior.

In an essay for The New York Times, Hill wrote, "There is no way to redo 1991, but there are ways to do better.

Among the most important bits of advice from Hill was, "Do not rush these hearings."

Two words: Anita Hill

But that is what the Republicans on the Senate want to do.

They want to hold their hearing on Monday with no law enforcement (or some other neutral party) investigating the allegations. Then they want to take a quick vote.

And Flake, for all his tough talk, seems to be going along with it.

He tweeted early Wednesday:

It's a ridiculous request. Unfair. Not just to Dr. Blasey Ford but to Kavanaugh.

It would leave nothing but lingering doubts.

Coming forward with such an allegation is putting your life and the life of your family into a tailspin. Blasey Ford’s lawyer sent a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley that reads in part:

“In the 36 hours since her name became public, Dr. Ford has received a stunning amount of support from her community and from fellow citizens across our country. At the same time, however, her worst fears have materialized. She has been the target of vicious harassment and even death threats. As a result of these kind of threats, her family was forced to relocate out of their home. Her email has been hacked, and she has been impersonated online.”

Why not investigate first?

It goes on:

“As the Judiciary Committee has recognized and done before, an FBI investigation of the incident should be the first step in addressing her allegations. A full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a non-partisan manner, and that the Committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions”

Grassley has dismissed that request, saying, "Dr. Ford's testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events. Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay."

Except, there is.

It has to do with flushing out the truth. With getting to the bottom of things.

President Donald Trump likewise said the FBI need not investigate the allegations. Then again, this is a president who wanted the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into who might be the writer of an anonymous critical op-ed in The New York Times.

When Flake said he wanted to hear from Kavanaugh’s accuser, he left the impression that he wanted to get to the truth.

Apparently, that isn’t the case.

Appearances, appearances

Apparently, all that’s important to him is giving the appearance of caring. Of fairness.

An investigation is not an indefinite delay. It is due diligence. It is the bare minimum the Senate (and our senator) should demand when the outcome could be giving Kavanaugh a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land.

Flake has been talking tough about Trump and about doing the right thing for a long, long time. He did it again when the accuser came forward against Kavanaugh.

But that’s all he did.

Again.

Talk.

Just. Talk.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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