I’m a close reader. In 1998, when Bill Clinton told PBS’s Jim Lehrer that “There is not a sexual relationship,” I immediately asked (out loud), “But was there?” I wish Lehrer had asked the question too.
Reading a transcript of Brett Kavanaugh’s Fox News interview, I’m struck by the careful repetition:
“I had [have?] never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever.”If Kavanaugh wants to claim (in a way that defies all plausibility) that the acts of which he’s accused were without sexual intent, the denial “I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone” becomes a crafty way to dodge the question of whether he did what he’s accused of doing. In other words, “I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone.” Someone needs to ask Kavanaugh a different question on Thursday: “Have you ever assaulted anyone?” And another: “Have you ever engaged in horseplay that could have been construed as assault?” I’m calling Dick Durbin’s office tomorrow morning to suggest that Durbin ask exactly those questions.
“I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or otherwise.”
“I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or at any time in my life.”
“I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone.”
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September 27: An aide told me that he’d pass my questions along to Durbin. After the fact, it’s obvious that Kavanaugh’s answers would have been “No” and “No.” Durbin asked an excellent question of his own: “Judge Kavanaugh, will you support an FBI investigation right now?” Kavanaugh refused to answer the question one way or the other.
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October 1: The New York Times reports a 1985 incident in which Kavanaugh is said to have thrown ice in a man’s face. How I wish my senator had asked Kavanaugh, “Have you ever assaulted anyone?”
A related post
Close-reading Herman Cain (“I never sexually harassed anyone”)
[Kavanaugh’s denial of what Deborah Ramirez accuses him of — “I never did any such thing” — is more difficult to parse. In this interview, Kavanaugh says “any such party” twice, and “any such thing” (with reference to Ramirez’s accusation) three times. Is there a subtle difference between “any such party” and “that party,” or between “I never did any such thing” and “I never did that”?]
comments: 2
Is there a subtle difference between “any such party” and “that party,” or between “I never did any such thing” and “I never did that”?
To me, “I never did any such thing” means “I never did that or anything like it”.
To me, “I never did any such thing” cannot possibly mean “I never did anything else like that”. Any is any. It does not allow exceptions.
I'm just describing the meaning of words here, not anyone's behavior or honesty.
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“Have you ever engaged in horseplay that could have been construed as assault?”
Good Q. You could even put sex back into it: “Have you ever engaged in horseplay that could have been construed as sexual assault?”
But the construing is not (or may not be) by Kavanaugh.
I agree that the meaning of “any such thing” should seem obvious. The repetition is what made me wonder. My son wondered too: does it mean not that but something like that?
I see what looks like careful misdirection everywhere. In the Fox interview, Kavanaugh said that the drinking age was eighteen: “And yes, the seniors were legal and had beer there, and yes, people might have had too many beers on occasion.” As The New York Times points out, the drinking age in Maryland was raised to twenty-one in 1982, when Kavanaugh was a senior. He turned eighteen in 1983. His words give the impression that he was of legal age when he wasn’t. I’d fault him not for drinking but for dissembling.
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