At fraught Kavanaugh hearing, dueling narratives and a fresh battle of beliefs

The stairwell. The living room. The bedroom. That the bed was on the right side of the room, and the bathroom in close proximity. That she made eye contact with the friend of Brett Kavanaugh, who had pinned her to the bed, hoping that his friend would help her.

Christine Blasey Ford testified on Thursday that she remembered all those details about that summer evening in which she alleges a drunk, teenage Kavanaugh groped her and tore at her clothes, with the music turned loud and Mr. Kavanaugh’s hand over her mouth muffling her yells for help.

But the strongest memory, she told Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) of Vermont, was “the laughter, the uproarious laughter between the two,” she said, her voice cracking. “Their having fun at my expense.”

It was deeply personal testimony, delivered in raw and vulnerable tones. And it seemed to strike a chord –