None of those even approach the level of coverage this will, as you well know. There also isn’t a huge time gap between the purported event and the reporting of it. But yes, we can go around and find stories of all sorts of things people do. I bet I could find stories of teenage boys who sexually assault girls to support my belief that it happened. My point is that based on what we know so far, I think she’s telling the truth about the event. I think she believes it was Kavanaugh. Whether or not it was is more questionable.
The problem with the whole thing is that there's basically no way to ever prove whether she is telling the truth or not. And as the accuser, I believe she has the burden of proof due to the nature of her allegations. Under defamation law, there are four categories of statements that are considered so serious that a defendant need not prove any actual damages in order to recover from the plaintiff. Those four categories are: statements alleging the commission of a criminal offense, statements alleging the target has a "loathsome disease" (which has usually meant an STD), statements alleging the target has committed serious sexual misconduct, or statements alleging conduct or characteristics that adversely affect the target's fitness to properly conduct his profession, trade or business. This accusation checks at least two of those boxes, and maybe three. If you allege that someone has committed a crime or a sexual offense, you'd damn sure better be able to back it up. But there is literally no way for her to back this stuff up. Of the three people who were there, two have already denied it happened. Without proof, it's just a smear. And it is transparently obvious, at least, that even though it is unclear at this time whether Ms. Ford made this accusation as a smear, the Democrats in the Senate are
undoubtedly using this accusation as a smear.
I share pretty much every point made in today's editorial in the Wall Street Journal:
The #MeToo Kavanaugh Ambush
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-metoo- ... 1537197395
