Kavanaugh Open Thread: Committee Vote Happening Today
Final vote will come next week.
After a wild and crazy Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh today. Chairman Chuck Grassley said debating will begin at 9:30AM ET.
Procedural vote in the Senate will occur on Saturday with the final confirmation vote by Tuesday.
Rachel Mitchell, the Arizona sex crimes prosecutor who questioned Christine Blasey Ford, said she would not have prosecuted Kavanaugh or had the ability to obtain a search warrant.
Spartacus Throws a Hissy Fit
Cory Booker, the man who groped a woman and WROTE ABOUT IT, threw a hissy fit during the committee meeting and stormed off.
See ya, Spartacus. https://t.co/lRPx5hsKMf
— Kemberlee Kaye (@KemberleeKaye) September 28, 2018
From NJ.com:
Booker spent much of speech Friday afternoon defending Ford and recounting her testimony.
He said “this is not about partisanship” and that some criticisms of Ford are “stripping away” her “heroism.”
“She shared a raw and visceral, incredible and profoundly powerful testimony with not just this committee but the world,” said Booker, a potential 2020 Democratic candidate for president. “And she was believable. I believe her.”
Calm down, Sparty. If you weren’t doing this to boost your image for 2020, I may just believe you. But you’re doing this for yourself and no one else.
Corker Will Vote Yes on Kavanaugh
Retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) will vote to confirm Kavanaugh.
I plan to vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/LDj4epYyhc
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) September 28, 2018
No word yet on Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
Vote Scheduled for 1:30PM ET
The committee will vote on Kavanaugh at 1:30PM ET.
The Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination will be at 1:30pm
— Steve Brusk (@stevebruskCNN) September 28, 2018
Jeff Flake Voting Yes on Kavanaugh
From Steve Brusk at CNN:
Senator Jeff Flake will vote yes to confirm Judge Kavanaugh
— Steve Brusk (@stevebruskCNN) September 28, 2018
Flake: “I wish that I could express the confidence that some of my colleagues have conveyed about what either did or did not happen in the early 1980s, but I left the hearing yesterday with as much doubt as certainty…
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 28, 2018
“… What I do know is that our system of justice affords a presumption of innocence to the accused, absent corroborating evidence. That is what binds us to the rule of law….
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 28, 2018
“… While some may argue that a different standard should apply regarding the Senate’s advice and consent responsibilities, I believe that the constitution’s provisions of fairness and due process apply here as well. I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 28, 2018
American Bar Association Wants FBI Investigation
Now the ABA wants the Senate to delay its vote until an FBI completes an investigation. From Fox News:
In a letter addressed to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, the organization requested the committee hold off on voting until allegations made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and others can be fully vetted by the FBI.
“We make this request because of the ABA’s respect for the rule of law and due process under law,” the letter read. “The basic principles that underscore the Senate’s constitutional duty of advice and consent on federal judicial nominees require nothing less than a careful examination of the accusations and facts by the FBI.”
Ford, a California professor, accused the federal judge of sexually assaulting her more than three decades ago.
The organization said the decision behind an appointment for the Supreme Court is “simply too important to rush to a vote,” while proceeding without an additional investigation would not only impact the Senate’s reputation, but “negatively affect the great trust necessary for the American people to have in the Supreme Court.”
“It must remain an institution that will reliably follow the law and not politics,” the letter stated.
Here’s the letter: pic.twitter.com/I1au9CbCWJ
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) September 28, 2018
Rachel Mitchell
JUST IN: Rachel Mitchell, The career sex-crime prosecutor who questioned Dr. Ford, told lawmakers tonight that based on the evidence she heard at the hearing, she would not have prosecuted or even been able to obtain a search warrant – NYT
— Wired Sources (@WiredSources) September 28, 2018
Mike Judge Sends New Letter
New tonight: Mark Judge submits another letter to the Judiciary Committee, and signs it himself this time: “I do not recall the events described by Dr. Ford in her testimony before the US Senate Judiciary Committee today. I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes” pic.twitter.com/cKB3mCu88S
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) September 28, 2018
Committee Votes
As I said, the debates will start at 9:30AM ET. We still don’t know if retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) will vote for Kavanaugh in the committee vote. From Politico:
Everyone is watching Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), the undecided Republican on the Judiciary Committee who must weigh in on Kavanaugh on Friday and will determine whether or not he receives a favorable recommendation in the committee. Flake is agonizing over the decision, he said, and seemed to be vacillating on where he’ll land, viewing both Kavanaugh and Ford as credible on Thursday.
“If you’re making an allegation, you want there to be some corroboration. And that’s a tough standard,” Flake told reporters late Thursday as he left the Capitol. “I want to give it some thought tonight. I do. So, this is a tough decision. It really is.”
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Flake is a flake. He said, “you want there to be some corroboration.”
There was none. There was an accusation, but every single witness refuted the “witnesses” testimony. WOMEN wrote in to say they know Brett and that’s not something he would have done.
Furthermore, you DO have significant evidence of an attempted smear: the timing of Feinstein’s release of the letter, lies about Ford’s alleged fear of flying, changing numbers of “participants” of the event in question, other questionable events that belie the person and demeanor to which dozens have testified, even another person responding that he and his friend were the persons Ford remembered. But nothing that remotely implicates Kavanaugh is even capable of such an act.
Ergo, you have NOTHING to prevent you from voting IN FAVOR of Brett Kavanaugh.
Just heard on FNC that Flake says he will vote for Judge Kavanaugh.
“If you’re making an allegation, you want there to be some corroboration. And that’s a tough standard,”
I don’t consider “some corroboration” to be a tough standard at all. I is, however, an absolute minimum requirement for a search warrant, and should have been met in this case, before any hearing was granted. But “somebody” leaked the story, unsupported as it was.
DiFi owes Kavanaugh a vote.
The American Bar Association has just called for a delay, pending an FBI investigation. Will the GOP fall for the latest Rope-a-Dope? Stay tuned.
I can’t see that they will.
John Roberts could also postpone the start of the Oct term until Kavanaugh gets his floor vote … just to make things interesting.
“John Roberts could also postpone the start of the Oct term until Kavanaugh gets his floor vote … just to make things interesting.”
Both highly unethical & highly out of character for Roberts to delay the start of Oct term.
Roberts highly values the prestige of the S Court and S Court traditions. Delaying the start would be very political and extremely demeaning to the court’s legitimacy. (not commenting on the damage from RG & Soto).
Why, pray tell, would it be unethical? If the Dems had followed long-standing procedures and gotten Ford’s accusations out as soon as they knew about it, the whole thing would have blown over by now because the committee would have had time to actually, you know … investigate, which the Dems claimed to have wanted. And Kavanaugh would already be confirmed.
But no, they played the worst kind of politics, waiting until the last minute and then screaming like the pouty babies they are that ‘we have to stop until this is investigated Zomg!11!11eleventy!!’.
Given that the reports are that Kavanaugh has the votes to be confirmed, Roberts needs to postpone the start of the term until next week so that Kavanaugh will be seated to hear arguments.
Sen McConnell needs to have all 30 hours of debate by letting the Dems drone for 15 hours (and all Republicans return their time to the chair) and then call the fucking vote. There is nothing that can be said or done now that will change a single mind.
The internet circles I run in have a saying …’Stupid should hurt.’ If it hurt more often maybe we wouldn’t get so much of it.
“Why, pray tell, would it be unethical? ”
A) the judiciary branch is supposed to be above politics/ unbiased.
B) The Supreme Court highly values tradition.
C) A delay would only demean & delegitimize the court
D) Would you enjoy a court that displays bias – for either side.
For what it’s worth, I agree with you, Joe.
Given that this circus was done expressly to influence the makeup of the court this session, it does seem like it would be more disruptive of the norms to allow such actions to tilt the court’s makeup than to delay the session to see it resolved.
Aren’t many of the anti-Kavanaugh faction calling the timeline arbitrary?
I’m amazed that the ABA staff managed to poll the membership overnight and make the recommendation. Or is the ABA staff another bunch of Democrats. OK, rhetorical question.
The ABA has supported a number of very strange positions.
The ABA is supposed to be apolitical but has become a liberal Democrat organization. This is pure political posturing.
The FBI has already made it clear that they have nothing to investigate. This the statuTe (please… people… even Victor Davis Hanson got this wrong yesterday) of limitations expired long ago, and even if it happened it was not a federal crime so it is not in their jurisdiction.
It doesn’t help that since the FBI said this, corroborating “witnesses” issued statements denying knowledge of the incident ever happening. They weren’t there either and never heard of it before.
It’s a nauseating phenomenon. As with academia, a host of ostensibly politically “neutral” non-profit organizations, corporate Board rooms and other entities/environments, Leftists predictably constitute the most vocal, histrionic and bullying factions present, and, thus, come to dominate such organizations and environments. Conservatives tend to be less vocal and more circumspect in manner, but, we know that Leftists have no restraints or qualms about making their opinions and influences heard and felt, proprieties, civility and tact be damned.
Do they have to wait until Tuesday.
Avenatti will throw more mud between now and then.
Senate rules require up to 30 hours of debate and the Democrats are requiring every minute of it. The “optics” if The Turtle kept the Senate in session and debating for a solid 30 hours do not allow McConnell to do that. So the scheduled Tuesday vote is about as early as it can be held, and then only by scheduling the preliminaries for a Saturday session.
Thanks for the explanation.
Avenatti lost so much credibility with his last outrageous mud-flinging exercise (a man who passed six FBI vettings over the years with flying colors was the leader of a criminal drug & rape gang, where adult female college students attended multiple high school parties where they watched minors being drugged and raped and yet did nothing, nor did any word of these activities with dozens of victims and hundreds of witnesses ever leak out over the past 35 years?) that I think he’s pretty well neutered in advance any further attacks.
New accusers will remember being raped as children by a Kavanaugh led gang, with 100% certainty.
There are distinct shades of the McMartin preschool hysteria here, that’s for sure. Sexual abuse, satanic rituals, cries of “Believe the children! Children don’t lie!” Extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds.
“If you’re making an allegation, you want there to be some corroboration. And that’s a tough standard,” seems to sound like “I want to vote against him, but have no reason to.”
Just saw something that Michelle Malkin wrote and with which I agree 100% Believe Evidence, Not Gender (anyone want to put that on a tee shirt?)
@michellemalkin
I owe no blind allegiance to any other woman simply because we share the same pronoun.
Assertions are not truths until they are established as facts & corroborated with actual evidence.
Feelings are not evidence.#BelieveEvidenceNotGender
Flake announced that he will vote yes.
Flake is yes.
I’m sorry to say it is quite obvious to me what will happen either later today or over the weekend.
Another lying rat will come out of the woodwork and their will be screeches about a “pattern of conduct that must be investigated by the FBI.”
This is far from over. The left will stop at nothing to control the Supreme Court… they know it is the only way to power for them.
It may seem inevitable, but the Democrats have spent much of their credibility getting to the hearings yesterday. Grassly is playing to the optics, and the optics no longer favor the delayers. If they have sandbagged another adverse witness with any credibility, which seems unlikely, that witness will face a much greater resistance because of the shenanigans that have preceded them.
Even neutral voters will greet another accuser with exasperation and disbelief.
Of course another accuser will come out, but everyone’s expecting it, so it’s baked in. Nobody will take this weekend’s accuser seriously. More to the point, the R wafflers will not take him or her seriously, and those are the only ones who matter at this point.
More importantly, any new accuser will not have been carefully groomed and prepared by the Dems like this last one. If they had more of them lurking in the wings, ready to be trotted out on stage, it would have leaked. Any accuser now will look unprepared, unprofessional, and unbelievable.
The accusers have looked prepared, but in no way were they even remotely professional or believable.
Sadly South Park chose to deal with school shootings in the season premier, but I see the these hearings as solid material for a similar confirmation in their world.
I think the future for the Dems is looking about as bright as it was for the Nazis and Japanese War lords in the Spring of 45. They have expended all of their secret weapons and Kamikazee attacks and still have come up short. They done pulled the pin of Mr. Hand Grenade without thinking, again.
The true victory here would be for a couple of red state senators up for election to fall as a result of their votes and complicity. It would not surprise me if some of them weigh the upside/downside of party unity here and decide that voting for Kavanaugh might be a tactical save their own ass move for the present and near future. They may realize that their two options are to either a) face Schemer’s wrath for the next 6 years or b) not be in office in January. Keep in mind that Kavanaugh will be all but forgotten after Trump’s next two confirmation hearings. I would really like to see DJT go out and campaign heavily for to of the closest races to send a messge to the Dems that there is payback for being asshats.
“…after Trump’s next two confirmation hearings”
lol. ISWYDT
I hope you’re right. There is very little wiggle room, all it takes is one or two getting cold feet.
I believe you’re right.
I hope you’re right..
My gut tells me you’re right.
In a couple of hours I will know if you’re right.
I wish they would hold the vote later today or tomorrow! I know, it’s a dream.
I have a question, why is no one investigating Dr. Ford?
For what purpose?
To prove that she is, at best, a very conflicted person, and at worst, a liar.
Who would you have do this “investigation,” and under what premise? Are you talking a criminal investigation?
No, of course not, more like look into all her assertions and disprove them, as was done with regard to her door claim. She said it was in 2012 while records show that the permit was obtained in 2008, showing an inconsistency. Things like that. I still think she was lying, well coached to garner sympathy, but still a liar.
But who would you have do this investigation, and to what end? If some judicial or quasi-judicial inquiry were able to prove that she’d misrepresented, say, the story about the second front door… okay, but what’s the end game?
Amy, people who are looking into this are just bloggers, ordinary citizens. The idea is to be ready, just in case something else is tried using Dr. Ford. I also think that President Trump made a mistake by issuing that list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court. I bet that by now the Dems have their aides and others looking into those candidates to see if they can find anything at all that could be used against them, and as we have seen they will stop at nothing. Wouldn’t it behoove us to be ready?
I wondered the same thing. Her yearbook was more illuminating than Kavanaugh’s. Her school’s favorite pass time was a game called “Passout” where they drank until they passed out. Did anyone mention that? During her testimony, she said, “One of them was on top of me”. What? Didn’t she claim that it was Kavanaugh? She said that she was afraid to fly. But it turns out she has flown all over the world and even flew to DC to meet with her lawyers and have a lie detector test but refused to meet with the Senate committee to cause more delay. She had never met Kavanaugh but knew it was him that tried to “Rape” her. She lived over 6 miles away from the club area yet has no idea how she got home. What phone did she use to call someone? No cells back then. Why did none of her family endorse her during this event? Only her husband’s family wrote endorsement letters. If no one knows about the party how do we know she only had one beer? How many had she drunk at other parties? Did anyone bother to query any of her old classmates to see what she was like at parties? Was that her real voice at the hearing? Can anyone imagine listening to a professor who talked like that? She should get the BS award for lying to liars!
Petulant children. We lost so we’re walking out.
Beautiful! Trump must be writing their marching orders. This is how Hubert Humphrey lost to Nixon in 1968. America HATES radicals usurping civilized gatherings. If they have a point to make, there is a process available for being heard.
I live at ground zero of left-wing thinking parading around as the center. Not to many people I know are willing to take ownership of these whacky, childish people. “Really? Kamala Harris is the person who represents you? Cory Booker? Diane Feinstein? Keith Ellison? Maxine Waters?……” “No but….”
Seriously, these people are truly on drugs.
I see your Feinstein and raise you a Merkely. Portland far outdoes CA for leftist thinking, or whatever passes for thinking in their heads. Our snowflakiness is measured by the fact that BLM yard placards far outnumber actual black people who live here, or maybe used to live here, hard to tell as they keep getting shuffled about through gentrification. We might be the first place in America where MLK. Blvd actually goes through a nice part of town.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hJxWr1TKK8
Listening to Dianne Feinstein right now. I had thought better of her, before.
Shame on her.
Hirono. “We did not coordinate walking out. ” Yeah sure.
Grassley correcting the record, again. This time, about the overly cute, very late demand for an FBI investigation.
PBS showing a bunch of people leaving the hearing room as Grassley speaks.
Interruption in an effort to throw him off. And he says he will continue.
Every day in every way the ABA justifies my never joining the organization over 40 years of law practice! They’ve become just another leftist front.
I’ve long been aware that over the years, the AMA has been hollowed out to the point where now only a small Leftist rump of political activists plus a handful of recent med school grads given “free memberships” are the only ones on their books (only 15%-18% of US doctors are paying members anymore, down from over 75% at its peak). But I wasn’t aware till now that the ABA is apparently showing the same Leftist slant.
The ABA has been a Progressive left-wing s-hole for my entire legal career, and I’m into my third decade.
–Andrew
http://www.lawofselfdefense.com/patreon
I know next to nothing about law as a career/vocation. Is membership in the ABA required? If not, have lawyers walked away from it as it’s gotten increasingly politicized the way doctors have from the AMA? During the ACA debates, I was always amazed that an organization which represented maybe 15% of all practicing US doctors kept being represented as speaking for the entire medical profession. Given my knowledge of that, I really should have been more skeptical of who or what the ABA really represented. I wasn’t, though – till now. Yikes.
It’s unimportant icing on a cake. Anyone can be a justice on court. King Solomon couldn’t make it to SCOTUS if not democrat. Too many wives and concubines. Dems too jealous.
Lawyers are required to be licensed by the state(s) in which they practice. In most states, there is a so-called unified bar. This simply means that the state bar or state bar association regulates lawyers and also is a professional organization that, among other things, lobbies legislatures and engages in other political activities. (Members of the bar aren’t required to pay for such activities.) The ABA is a voluntary professional (leftist) organization that I avoided like the plague when I practiced.
I got a freebie membership when I passed my first bar exam. Never renewed (ie. paid) for it. From what I’ve seen, they basically support almost everything I disagree with. I’d much rather spend my time and money doing pro bono work for causes I believe in.
So, the ABA is kinda like the AARP but for lawyers? Do you get discounts on tires or anything like that?
If you want to see what a steaming pile the ABA can put forward, read their task force report on stand your ground laws.
If you have paid attention to Mr. Branca’s posts, you will see how monumentally biased and flawed the report is.
I went into the reading of it with an open mind thinking it would be a lawyerly/scholarly work, boy was I disappointed.
Leahy.
I hope the Republicans will listen to this very carefully. Somehow, asking for support for terrible allegations is somehow capitulation to DJT.
Shame on him.
He would have to have a conscience to feel shame.
Leahy is a disgraceful and worthless career politician. FORTY YEARS spent warming his D.C. sinecure seat. Almost half a century spent in politics. The Founders did not envision the creation of a permanent and entrenched political class. Leahy should have been put out to pasture a long time ago, so that he can spend more time doing inane cameos in DC Comics superhero films.
Any confirmation that they delayed the vote AGAIN? Only to this afternoon, but I find the constant caving to be…disheartening, if true.
I believe it is procedural. They are now committed at 1:30pmEST, when debate has to end.
Thank you! I’m trying to keep half an ear on this while we’re in school, but that’s not really conducive to getting accurate information. I appreciate your update. 🙂
They are meeting right know. The Dems are up to their old shenanigans, interrupting, walking out, etc. We all know the drill.
The Dems will be trash to the end.
Graham, again the voice for process.
Durbin again deliberately conflating what Kavanaugh said about Dr. Ford, and about the way the matter was handled.
Another thought: the Democrats are not serious about this hearing.
I’ve heard the Senate debates on the eve of war. Then, the speakers made their points in a calm, deliberative manner that justified their title “World’s greatest deliberative body.” The Democrats are not living up to that title, today.
I watched this hearing. Their descriptions are luridly inaccurate.
The only way to tolerate what the Democrats have to say is to fail to know what happened.
I read somewhere (and cannot renumber where now) that if not accepted by 10-1 could be some seating/legal issues.
has anyone else read this and know how I can verify it?
Corker and flake are yes. Just leaves Mercowsky to say yes and its game over.
Although I suspect the writing is already on the wall. After yesterday Mercowsky has no cover to vote No.
I give Cory Booker this much: he admitted a political reason for his vote.
Again, however, he is misdescribing the actions of his beloved Democrats. He lies outright about it not being about partisanship.
Question: Doesn’t the Judiciary Committee need a quorum before the vote can be taken? What are the chances most or all the D’s walk out en masse? If so, can the Chairman have them ‘rounded up’? Forgive me if this has been asked and answered previously – so much is happening, it’s hard to stay current.
The concept that I find absolutely insane is that, if Kavanaugh’s “performance” had been somehow judged deficient, yesterday, vis-a-vis Ford’s, then, the pressure would be on the four RINO Stooges (Collins, Murkowski, Flake and Corker) to vote down Judge K. I mean, I understand the “optics” at stake and all that, but, something is seriously wrong when a transparently innocent nominee’s appointment hinges upon him delivering an acting job in front of the cameras that “proves” his innocence. Defending one’s self from a manifestly false and thinly-sourced accusation should not come down to one’s perceived acting skills.
Judge K.’s innocence was proven the minute that these allegations were concealed from the Committee for weeks; it was proven by his myriad character references and attestations (including, scores of women); by his lifetime of irreproachable personal and professional conduct.
The allegation’s transparent falsity was proven by the fact that the narrative is suspect beyond belief, utterly devoid of factual specificity and evidentiary supports. The tardiness of the claim is suspect beyond belief, as are her now-scrubbed social media accounts (altered to remove any suggestion of political bias), and, her fear of flying claim has been shown to have been a lie. Her friend’s contradictory statement is callously and flippantly dismissed by the accuser, by claiming that the friend has “health issues” and is seeking medical treatment.
I still see people in the media — including conservative media — positing that the two narratives, Ford’s and Kavanaugh’s, allegedly hold the same credibility and probative value — only a delusional fool would believe that there is evidentiary equivalence, here. This is not even remotely a close call, as some pundits are portraying.
I know enough to know that I can’t tell a good acting job from a lie.
I’ve met people who were very good liars. I’ve met people who bragged about how to pass a polygraph. I’ve read that polygraphs are no longer considered admissible in a court of law because they are unreliable, and I know every member of that committee knows how weak a polygraph is as corroboration.
So, great job by both the witnesses.
For me, it comes down to corroboration, and there is a mountain of it on one side, and none on the other, regardless of what our esteemed Democratic partisans say.
The Democrats have studiously avoided all efforts to proceed in a fair manner. Shame on them.
Ah. Now Booker finally gets to his demand: again, it is delay.
Once the curtain is pulled back it is plain to see hooker booker is no Spartacus. Feinstein, on the other had, does make a good hooker booker.
All they ever wanted is delay, and to destroy a man’s reputation because they are scared that if he is on the court he might rule to overthrow Roe V. Wade. That is all it is.
And behind the scenes:
The police department that has jurisdiction over the area where Christine Blasey Ford claims Judge Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her says it has not opened an investigation into the matter because Ford has not requested one, among other reasons.
The Montgomery County Police Department says it stands by its “victim-centered” approach to launching investigations, despite Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s call Thursday for a full investigation of Ford’s allegations and a Wednesday letter from 11 Democratic Maryland state lawmakers with a similar request.
A police department statement in effect as of Thursday explains its position, reported The Washington Post.
“At this time, the Montgomery County Police Department has not received a request by any alleged victim nor a victim’s attorney to initiate a police report or a criminal investigation regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The department recognizes that victims of sexual assault may not want to involve law enforcement and/or initiate a criminal investigation, and we respect that position. The department, however, stands prepared to assist anyone who reports being the victim of a sexual assault.”
Guess why? She can be charged with making a false report to the police. Bringing it up to the Senate the way she did – via her local rep, posed no such risk (or so I’ve read). She’ll never file with the police.
Republicans getting ready to cave again. If this happens I’m done with them.
Rush is reporting that Flake is wavering and maybe Corker. Collins looks increasingly doubtful too.
Even if Kavanaugh ends up being confirmed, being an unaffiliated independent should continue to be the fastest growing party, the Dems the fastest shrinking with the GOP close behind.
Now Flake has announced that he will vote yes to advance to the floor but will sign a bipartisan for a 10-day delay on the vote to allow for an FBI investigation.
McConnell better have a plan to deal with this or God help the GOP.
Not so fast.
This makes America more tribal. There will be no coming together in the center. At least one party wants this and the other will go along.
Plus, the middle is a myth. Everyone in the fed will have their alliances and allegiances. Remember that Sanders is technically an independent, Murkowski used independent for her own ends, and Flake has talked about leaving the GOP to be independent. Libertarianism is a pipe dream, unfortunately.
The Democrats never cave on tough votes, they always stick together. The Republicans ALWAYS cave. If they do here, he’s toast there’ll be 10 more BS allegations.
They are saying that there may be a change when it comes to Flake. He was being lobbied by the Dems and has not yet come back into the room. McCain redux?
So Flake is going to stab the dagger.
There is some delay. Getting nervous.
I think someone may have kidnapped Flake.
Flake flipped.
Not really, but he is trying to have his cake and eat it too.
They are pushing for a delay on the floor vote. Ain’t going to happen. It’s up to McConnell.
Dims want a one week delay with FBI investigation, to give them time to come up with more “victims”.
And then demand more delays, to investigate the new charges, ad infinitum.