Brett Kavanaugh is credibly accused of sexual assault by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, throwing his nomination into question, and Paul Manafort agrees to fully cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Then former Secretary of State John Kerry talks to Jon and Tommy about negotiating the Iran Deal, what Democrats should do if they take the Senate, and the lessons he learned from his 2004 presidential campaign.

Show Notes:

Kavanaugh

• New York Times: Brett Kavanaugh and His Accuser Say They’re Willing to Testify
• Washington Post: California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault
• CNN: Read the letter Christine Blasey Ford sent accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct
• New Yorker: A Sexual Misconduct Allegation Against the Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Stirs Tension Among Democrats in Congress
• New York Times: Dianne Feinstein Refers a Kavanaugh Matter to Federal Investigators
• Time: Republicans Ask Why Kavanaugh Accusations Have Come So Late as Democrats Seek to Delay Vote
• Huffington Post: Here Is What Brett Kavanaugh Said About Sexual Misconduct In His Hearings
• Vox: What we know about the explosive letter accusing Kavanaugh of attempted sexual assault
• The Intercept: DIANNE FEINSTEIN WITHHOLDING BRETT KAVANAUGH DOCUMENT FROM FELLOW JUDICIARY COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS
• Los Angeles Times: Dianne Feinstein: Why I’m voting ‘no’ on Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination – Op-Ed
• Politico: Alumnae of girls school attended by Kavanaugh accuser circulate letter backing her
• Washington Post: Trump and Republicans plan to attack Christine Ford’s credibility. So let her testify. – Opinion
• Bloomberg: GOP Torn on How to Handle Kavanaugh Assault Allegations

The reaction

• Bloomberg: Trump Defends Kavanaugh While Signaling Possible Delay in Vote
• Politico: ‘I do not know this woman’: Trump allies rally to Kavanaugh’s defense
• Washington Post: The Daily 202: Kavanaugh allegations test the staying power of the #MeToo movement
• Axios: 1 big thing … Scoop: GOP plans to play hardball on Kavanaugh
• Think Progress: White House dismisses Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford as a liar
• Washington Post: GOP senator: Hold off on Kavanaugh vote until acuser is heard
• CNN: Three Republican senators weigh in on delaying Kavanaugh vote
• The Hill: Grassley: Kavanaugh accuser ‘deserves to be heard’ in ‘appropriate’ manner
• Politico: Flake opposes quick vote on Kavanaugh, putting confirmation in doubt
• NBC: Senators seek delay of Kavanaugh vote after Christine Blasey Ford reveals sexual assault allegation
• Associated Press: Kavanaugh accuser willing to testify, her lawyer says; nominee again denies encounter
• Vox: Susan Collins thinks the Senate needs to hear from Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh
• Vox: Where Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation process stands

The politics

• Politico Magazine: What Should the Senate Do With Brett Kavanaugh?
• Vox: The striking parallels between Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas
• Washington Post: Poll: Democrats regain clear advantage in midterms shaping up as referendum on President Trump
• CNN: 2 Democrats call for Kavanaugh, his accuser to testify before Senate Judiciary Committee
• FiveThirtyEight: What Happens to Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination Now
• The Atlantic: The Subtext of Kavanaugh’s Nomination Bursts Into the Open
• CNN: The Kavanaugh controversy is a watershed moment for GOP
• Vox: A conservative reveals what’s really going on with denying Kavanaugh accusations

Manafort

• New York Times: Paul Manafort Agrees to Cooperate With Special Counsel; Pleads Guilty to Reduced Charges
• Washington Post: Manafort will cooperate with Mueller as part of guilty plea, prosecutor says
• Washington Post: ‘Robert Mueller’s real quest here is for the truth’: How Paul Manafort’s plea brings the special counsel probe closer to its endgame
• Vox: All of Robert Mueller’s indictments and plea deals in the Russia investigation so far
• Washington Post: I was a prosecutor. Here’s what stands out to me about Manafort’s deal with Mueller
• Vox: Manafort is cooperating with Mueller. 8 legal experts explain what that means for Trump.
• Daily Beast: After Getting Flipped By Mueller, Manafort Is Existential Threat to Trump
• Lawfare: The Manafort Guilty Plea, the Mueller Investigation, and the President
• NPR: The Russia Investigations: What Will Paul Manafort Tell The Feds?
• New York Times: How a Ukrainian Hairdresser Became a Front for Paul Manafort
• CNBC: ‘Paul Manafort will tell the truth,’ Trump’s legal team said. Minutes later, they took it back
• Vox: Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani tries to do Manafort damage control, fails
• Empty Wheel: CHECKMATE: THE MANAFORT COOPERATION IS PARDON PROOF

Candidate of the Day: Lisa Brown

• The Atlantic: The Republican Leadership Member Most Likely to Lose
• Crosscut: The GOP is having to play defense — even in Washington’s deep-red districts
• The Spokesman-Review: Spin Control: Primary turnout strong in Eastern Washington
• Vox: House Republicans’ top-ranking woman is facing the toughest reelection of her career
• Associated Press: Washington state Democrats eye 3 GOP House seats
• CNN: Washington state’s primary results paint a grim picture for GOP
• Vote Save America

John Kerry

• Washington Post: John Kerry’s memoir shows his weakness. That’s what makes it so strong – Op-Ed
• Washington Post: Trump takes another shot at John Kerry for meetings with Iranian official
• Slate: Every Day Is Extra
• CNN: Kerry says Trump’s Iran strategy ‘very dangerous and ill-advised’
• CBS News: John Kerry on midterms and moving America in “a better direction”
• Politico: Why Is Trump’s State Department Stealing Ideas from Old Spice Commercials?
• Bloomberg: For John Kerry, Every Brag is Humble
• NPR: In ‘Every Day Is Extra,’ John Kerry Focuses On His Time In The Political Arena
• The Guardian: Every Day is Extra review: John Kerry on Vietnam, Syria, Paris, Iran … and Trump
• New York Times: John Kerry Recounts a Life Full of Incident (and a Few Regrets) in ‘Every Day Is Extra’