Senator Dianne Feinstein, the very solon who made public the accusation of a juvenile assault by Judge Brett Kavanaugh three and half decades ago, yesterday admitted doubt as to the "truthfulness" of the accuser and may have doomed the effort to stall Senate confirmation.

"[Ford] is a woman that has been, I think, profoundly impacted.  On this ... I can't say that everything is truthful.  I don't know," Feinstein told reporters on Capitol Hill when asked if she believed the allegation.

Note the distinction between "truthful" and "truth."

"Being truthful" means we are honestly expressing how we perceive or feel about something.

"Telling the truth" means we are accurately defining or describing the way things REALLY are.

Senator Feinstein, consciously or not, has just impugned the honesty of Professor Ford, and no amount of attempted backtracking can un-ring that bell, with this video in existence.

Feinstein's "I can't say everything is truthful" quote is accurate. Just ran on Fox. pic.twitter.com/MEkrRgG8oV

— Elliott Schwartz (@elliosch) September 18, 2018

Her mere willingness to consider the truth of the matter contradicts the current Party Line on #MeToo accusations (except when Representative Keith Ellison is accused, in which case the accuser is simply ignored).  Your guess is as a good as mine in explaining the senator's sudden surrender to realism about recovered memories from an adolescence a third of a century ago.

The refusal of Professor Christine Blasey Ford to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee until an FBI investigation is finished makes much more sense.  She, her Democrat activist lawyer, and Sen. Schumer all know that such an FBI vetting would take enough time that confirmation would be pushed back after the midterm elections.  If Dems hit the electoral jackpot they now expect, they will then be able to kill the nomination, they think, by demanding that the Senate respect the voters' preference and allow the new Democrat-majority Senate to vote next year and kill the nomination.

But their motivation now is too transparent.  Just a few days ago, they demanded a Senate hearing and apparently were unprepared for Republicans agreeing to that, scheduling it for next Monday.  Their refusal to take yes for an answer looks especially bad now that doubts about Ford's "truthfulness" are in play.

All along, the Dems have hoped to push two or more Republican senators into refusing a confirmation vote (or voting no if the vote is held), targeting pro-choicer senators Collins and Murkowski and Trump-hater senators Flake and Corker.  Alas for them:

After learning of the allegation, Chairman @ChuckGrassley took immediate action to ensure both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh have the opportunity to be heard, in public or private. Republicans extended a hand in good faith. If we don’t hear from both sides on Monday, let’s vote.

— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) September 19, 2018

When Dr. Ford came forward, I said that her voice should be heard and asked the Judiciary Committee to delay its vote on Judge Kavanaugh. It did so. I now implore Dr. Ford to accept the invitation for Monday, in a public or private setting. The committee should hear her voice.

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) September 19, 2018

Professor Ford and Judge Kavanaugh should both testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee.

— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) September 17, 2018

Senator Murkowski has yet to comment on the accusation, but if the other three senators decide to vote yes, given the wobbliness of Professor Ford's accusation and the spectacle of her refusing prompt testimony, it is possible that V.P. Pence's tie-breaking vote will place Justice Kavanaugh on the highest court.

Surfacing this accusation after the Judiciary Committee hearings already smelled very bad.  So does the idea of such a vague, uncorroborated, and ancient charge being dispositive, especially since it is completely out of character with Brett Kavanaugh's reputation with virtually everyone else who has gone to school or worked with hm.

Today may be decisive.  If the Democrats don't yield, they may find themselves opening Pandora's box.