Three points that should have been made

1. Contra the assertions of some Republican senators: It’s not a victim’s responsibility to gather and present evidence of a crime. Think about it: If that were a victim’s responsibility, no one could ever be convicted of murder.

2. Contra Brett Kavanaugh’s breezy claims about three witnesses refuting Christine Blasey Ford’s story: For one thing, they weren’t witnesses. Those who would have been downstairs would not have witnessed what was happening. And if Mark Judge was in the room, he was a participant, not a witness.

3. Contra Brett Kavanaugh’s breezy claims that these (non-) witnesses have refuted Christine Blasey Ford’s story: No. Not remembering ≠ refuting. The three people named as present in the house in 1982 all say that they don’t remember the gathering. There is no reason to think that those who would have been downstairs would have any reason to remember it. And there is no reason to expect that Mark Judge would incriminate himself by acknowledging that he was upstairs in a room with Ford and Kavanaugh.