What a scoop this is from Mollie Hemingway and Carrie Severino. How on earth did it not leak sooner? Kavanaugh’s allies would have had an intense interest in putting it out there in the immediate aftermath of his confirmation hearings, to help vindicate the new justice before he took his seat on the Court.

Also: Is there anyone close to Blasey Ford who thinks her motives were entirely pure in accusing Kavanaugh? Her own lawyer admitted earlier this year that “part of what motivated Christine” to come forward was making sure people knew Kavanaugh was a foul character in case he ended up taking “a scalpel to Roe v. Wade.”

We’re never going to hear from Ralph Blasey on this, I assume, but I’d pay money to watch that interview.

Within days of Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, a fascinating encounter took place. Brett Kavanaugh’s father was approached by Ford’s father at the golf club where they are both members.

Ralph Blasey, Ford’s father, went out of his way to offer to Ed Kavanaugh his support of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, according to multiple people familiar with the conversation that took place at Burning Tree Club in Bethesda, Maryland. “I’m glad Brett was confirmed,” Ralph Blasey told Ed Kavanaugh, shaking his hand. Blasey added that the ordeal had been tough for both families.

The encounter immediately caused a stir at the close-knit private golf club as staff and members shared the news. The conversation between the two men echoed a letter that Blasey had previously sent to the elder Kavanaugh. Neither man returned requests for comment about the exchanges.

It’s true that Kavanaugh’s and Ford’s fathers belong to the same golf club. WaPo reported that a year ago in a newly interesting piece about the fact that Blasey Ford had received vocal support from her husband’s relatives in accusing Kavanaugh — but, curiously, not from her own blood relatives. When WaPo finally got her father on the phone, he was terse:

Reached by phone on Tuesday, Ford’s father, Ralph Blasey Jr., offered a brief endorsement of his daughter. “I think all of the Blasey family would support her. I think her record stands for itself. Her schooling, her jobs and so on,” he said before hanging up. Moments later, after picking up the phone a second time, he added: “I think any father would have love for his daughter.”

Conspicuously missing is him saying, “Of course I believe her.” WaPo went on to note that the Blaseys are Republicans, but then so are some of Christine’s in-laws and they had no difficulty vouching for her. It doesn’t sound as though Blasey Ford is estranged from her mother and father either. Although her husband acknowledged that she “didn’t always get along with her parents because of differing political views,” the paper claimed that she maintains a “meaningful relationship with her family back east” and brings her sons to Washington every summer.

Assuming the story about her father congratulating Kavanaugh’s father is true, what could possibly explain it except Ralph Blasey doubting Christine’s allegations for whatever reason? Granted, two big cheeses at the local tony country club might normally be expected to keep the peace in a case of conflict, but most conflicts don’t involve … your own daughter’s attempted rape by your friend’s Supreme-Court-nominee son. If Blasey felt awkward (to put it mildly) about coexisting with Kavanaugh in their social circles, he could have simply avoided him. “I’m glad Brett was confirmed” is a terrible betrayal of his daughter unless he has reason to believe his daughter is lying and was trying to cure a terrible injustice.

Again, how did we not hear this sooner?

Update: This was being whispered about during the Ford/Kavanaugh saga. Others heard of it but apparently not until now were multiple sources willing to confirm it.

We heard so much from people who were terrified that they would be harmed by the media if they went public. It was frustrating as writers, even if we understood their terror. Even something like this — which was widely known but never reported until now.

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 12, 2019