The New York Times published perhaps the most absurd article yet about Brett Kavanaugh, reporting that his high-school yearbook contained coded references to a girl named Renate Dolphin and suggesting they denoted supposed sexual encounters with her. The boys involved say it just referred to dates or dances. From the piece:

“Judge Kavanaugh and Ms. Dolphin attended one high school event together and shared a brief kiss good night following that event,” the statement continued. “They had no other such encounter. The language from Judge Kavanaugh’s high school yearbook refers to the fact that he and Ms. Dolphin attended that one high school event together and nothing else.” Ms. Dolphin said she had never kissed Judge Kavanaugh. “I think Brett must have me confused with someone else, because I never kissed him,” she said through her lawyer.

The piece is a sign that the case against Kavanaugh is transmogrifying from he is guilty of attempted rape to he was fratty in high school. The latter may well be true, but doesn’t tell us anything about the former and has nothing to do with his fitness to serve on the Supreme Court.