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Find a way to hear Christine Ford

Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate have an obligation — one of fairness as well as self-defense politics — to do all in their power to hear Christine Blasey Ford’s story about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. If that means shuffling their schedule, so be it.

Until a few days ago, it seemed plain that Kavanaugh would be confirmed by the Senate. Now, it is uncertain even when lawmakers will be able to schedule a vote on him.

Ford, a California college professor, changed everything. She says sometime during the 1980s, when she was 15, a drunken Kavanaugh, then a 17-year-old high school student, assaulted her. Specifically, Ford has said Kavanaugh tried to take her bathing suit off and put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

Kavanaugh denies that unequivocally. So does the high school friend who, according to Ford, was present during the incident.

Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have said they want to hear Ford’s side of the story directly. So, she has been asked to testify in Washington, on Monday.

That invitation kicked off an on-again, off-again series of agreements for Ford to testify, followed by refusals and demands that certain conditions be met.

On Thursday, Ford’s attorney, telling reporters her client had to relocate her family because of death threats, said testimony is possible — but not on Monday, the day on which Ford had been scheduled to appear.

Ford is insisting on “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,” the attorney told Judiciary Committee members.

For a time, committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, had said the testimony would have to occur Monday.

He and others on the panel should back away from that. If Ford wants to testify Tuesday, fine. If Wednesday, all right. If Thursday … well, that should be possible, too.

Every possible accommodation — within obviously reasonable limits — should be granted to get Ford before the committee. Only then will senators of both parties have some slim chance of getting at the truth.

Clearly, it is in the best political interests of Grassley and other GOP senators to compromise with Ford. Otherwise, they would appear to be trying to keep her from telling her story at the Capitol. That would serve no one well.

So, in the hope of getting to the truth, some means of getting Ford’s testimony needs to be devised.

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