As the Kavanaugh saga continues, his accuser, Dr. Christine Ford, has finally agreed to appear and testify at a hearing – but not the one that’s already scheduled, and not unless Congress meets her unconventional demands.

If you’re thinking Ford’s singing a different tune all of a sudden, you’re right. What ever happened to her lawyer’s claim that:

“My client will do whatever is necessary to make sure that the Senate Judiciary Committee has the full story and the full set of allegations to allow them to make a fully informed decision.”

Well, that was before, as Liberty Nation’s Scott Cosenza put it, “Republicans called her bluff.” It has been clear, at least since then, that Ford and her lawyer, Debra Katz, are just playing politics. Dragging her heels by only agreeing to speak on certain terms merely delays the inevitable: the reveal that she doesn’t have anything credible to say and the eventual confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A Long, Long Time Ago …

Many moons ago, a drunk 17-year-old Brett Kavanaugh allegedly tried to force himself on an unwilling Christine Ford. Strangely, she only seems to recall this vaguely – as the exact date and location of this supposed assault escapes her. True, it was 36 years ago that she claims this happened, but one might think that such a thing would not be easily forgotten. Perhaps accuracy of detail is the price one pays for sitting on such a secret until it becomes politically useful.

Kavanagh has, of course, denied the accusation. No other woman has come out against him – aside from one former classmate of Ford’s who very briefly made a fuss on Facebook about having heard the story from Ford all those years ago. Rather, character witnesses have actually come to his defense. What’s more, the other man Ford accuses of being present and complicit denies any recollection of such an event.

The Phantom Menace

While initially allegedly willing to do whatever it takes to get her story out, once Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley (R-IA) scheduled another hearing for Monday, September 24 and invited Ford, Kavanaugh, and Mark Judge to testify, she became impossible to reach – like a sort of accusatory phantom, menacing Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Then, Ford and her lawyer demanded the hearing be put off pending an FBI investigation. Who knows how long that might take? Of course, that’s the entire point, and Grassley Knows it. He refused to support the investigation or to reschedule the hearing. Ford has been given a chance to be heard, and if she doesn’t take it, that’s her own fault.

Now, Katz says that Ford will testify without the FBI investigation, though she still wants it, but not at Monday’s hearing and not without a few other demands being met first – “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,” as Katz put it.

A few of these fair terms that guarantee Ford’s safety – as if anyone were likely to attack her at a Senate committee hearing – include requiring Kavanaugh to testify first and forbidding him from being in the room at the same time as Ford, and that no outside lawyers be brought in to question her.

That’s a far cry from being willing to do “whatever is necessary” to be heard. Could it be that Dr. Ford doesn’t actually want to resolve this?

A New Hope?

Ford – and those on the left showboating for her defense – seem to only want a long enough delay in the process for Democrats to retake Congress in November. It’s a Hail Mary for sure, but at this point, that looks like the only way to stop Trump from having two successful appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court in his first two years in office.

Will Ford actually appear at Monday’s hearing? Not if her “fair terms” are a deal breaker – it’s highly unlikely that Kavanaugh will be required to precede his accuser or denied the right to be present when she testifies against him. And if Grassley sticks to his guns, it’s Monday or moving on.

Let’s not forget, by the way, that through this whole ordeal, Kavanaugh has been ready and willing to face the hearing to clear his name. Could these delay tactics and ridiculous terms be a new hope for Kavanaugh?