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.
Cory Booker, the man who groped a woman and WROTE ABOUT IT, threw a hissy fit during the committee meeting and stormed off.
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.
Retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) will vote to confirm Kavanaugh.
No word yet on Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
The committee will vote on Kavanaugh at 1:30PM ET.
From Steve Brusk at CNN:
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.
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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