Hillary: Kavanaugh’s Accuser Deserves ‘the Benefit of the Doubt’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT MADDOW That ░░░░░░░░ the relevant precedent Clinton ░░░░░░░░ is the relevant precedent ░░░░░░░░ FBI is not conducting ░░░░░░░░ independent investigation It s ░░░░░░░░ a background investigation And ░░░░░░░░ client if you will ░░░░░░░░ requester is the White ░░░░░░░░ So the precedent that ░░░░░░░░ just referred to is ░░░░░░░░ precedent for getting the ░░░░░░░░ to conduct an investigation ░░░░░░░░ that s what the ░░░░░░░░ House should do MADDOW ░░░░░░░░ the Brett Kavanaugh nomination ░░░░░░░░ now hurdling into the ░░░░░░░░ which is what I ░░░░░░░░ and that s just ░░░░░░░░ take on it I ░░░░░░░░ t know if that ░░░░░░░░ be proven right or ░░░░░░░░ there is the question ░░░░░░░░ how the Senate should ░░░░░░░░ this matter going forward ░░░░░░░░ mean there is this ░░░░░░░░ precedent now where Republicans ░░░░░░░░ not let President Obama ░░░░░░░░ an opening on the ░░░░░░░░ Court created by the ░░░░░░░░ of Justice Scalia for ░░░░░░░░ a year until they ░░░░░░░░ another shot at the ░░░░░░░░ House in the 2016 ░░░░░░░░ Some Republican senators during ░░░░░░░░ election campaign said that ░░░░░░░░ you were elected in ░░░░░░░░ they fully intended to ░░░░░░░░ that seat open for ░░░░░░░░ four years if necessary ░░░░░░░░ give a Republican another ░░░░░░░░ at holding it Given ░░░░░░░░ extreme recent history do ░░░░░░░░ think that Democrats should ░░░░░░░░ that kind of hardball ░░░░░░░░ be prepared to use ░░░░░░░░ kinds of tactics so ░░░░░░░░ not to be sort ░░░░░░░░ the Patsy being pushed ░░░░░░░░ on this or do ░░░░░░░░ think Democrats should just ░░░░░░░░ through regular order with ░░░░░░░░ Trump has to put ░░░░░░░░ next if the Kavanaugh ░░░░░░░░ fails Clinton What I ░░░░░░░░ like to see is ░░░░░░░░ democratic majority that actually ░░░░░░░░ the chance to make ░░░░░░░░ choice right now the ░░░░░░░░ have very few tools ░░░░░░░░ their disposal to stop ░░░░░░░░ Republicans from going full ░░░░░░░░ ahead and engaging in ░░░░░░░░ kind of unprecedented behavior ░░░░░░░░ they did with the ░░░░░░░░ nomination So I m ░░░░░░░░ in favor of either ░░░░░░░░ disarmament or defcon 10 ░░░░░░░░ think there has to ░░░░░░░░ some effort to try ░░░░░░░░ get back to regular ░░░░░░░░ try to get back ░░░░░░░░ having a system a ░░░░░░░░ in place so that ░░░░░░░░ are not subjected to ░░░░░░░░ hardball behavior of the ░░░░░░░░ that we saw in ░░░░░░░░ Garland nomination and we ░░░░░░░░ not subject to the ░░░░░░░░ denial of the information ░░░░░░░░ was requested on Kavanaugh ░░░░░░░░ mean there can t ░░░░░░░░ one set of rules ░░░░░░░░ Democrats and one set ░░░░░░░░ rules for Republicans That ░░░░░░░░ one of the reasons ░░░░░░░░ people don t have ░░░░░░░░ confidence in the Congress ░░░░░░░░ can you You don ░░░░░░░░ know what s going ░░░░░░░░ happen from day to ░░░░░░░░ I remember back in ░░░░░░░░ Thomas hearing when senator ░░░░░░░░ was asked what he ░░░░░░░░ going to do and ░░░░░░░░ said in a situation ░░░░░░░░ this we should give ░░░░░░░░ benefit of the doubt ░░░░░░░░ the court and the ░░░░░░░░ And that s what ░░░░░░░░ Republicans should be doing ░░░░░░░░ now from the White ░░░░░░░░ down Pennsylvania Avenue to ░░░░░░░░ Senate give the benefit ░░░░░░░░ the doubt to the ░░░░░░░░ and the country And ░░░░░░░░ means have an investigation ░░░░░░░░ will then lead to ░░░░░░░░ hearing that will then ░░░░░░░░ to a vote if ░░░░░░░░ And instead they are ░░░░░░░░ the hardest of hardballs ░░░░░░░░ try to pack the ░░░░░░░░ with you know another ░░░░░░░░ regardless of the questions ░░░░░░░░ Rachel there were lots ░░░░░░░░ questions raised in the ░░░░░░░░ itself about some of ░░░░░░░░ testimony some of the ░░░░░░░░ he had made when ░░░░░░░░ was first confirmed for ░░░░░░░░ circuit court and then ░░░░░░░░ statements So there were ░░░░░░░░ reasons to doubt the ░░░░░░░░ and the positions that ░░░░░░░░ was taking as well ░░░░░░░░ substantive issues that are ░░░░░░░░ game for senators to ░░░░░░░░