Report: Flake wasn’t pressured, he masterminded the Kavanaugh delay
The “Flake-led rebellion” had “been building for nearly two weeks”
According to a report published by Politico, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) chose to appear pressured when, in fact, he masterminded the latest Kavanaugh delay. His subsequent media statements about his motivations and his media appearances in light of this report suggest Flake’s true motivations are far less pure than he would have us believe.
Flake’s focus on optics, on his raw ambition (for 2020?), and on the kind of “swamp creature” political maneuvering surrounding this planned reversal paints for the American people a hideous and disturbing portrait of the Arizona senator.
On Friday, Flake told the Atlantic that he insisted on the seventh FBI investigation into Judge Brett Kavanaugh because he was trying to save two institutions, the Senate and the Supreme Court. During this interview, he also explained that he was deeply moved by Chris Coons’ pleas and decided that it was up to him, Jeff Flake, to “bring a little unity,” to stop our country “coming apart on this.” A move that apparently brought Coons near tears.
To follow up on his preening media tour, Flake showed up on 60 Minutes with Coons in tow. CBS is revealing parts of this interview leading up to its Sunday night airing.
How did the Senate Judiciary Committee arrive at its last-minute compromise to continue the Supreme Court confirmation process of Judge Brett Kavanaugh? Senators Jeff Flake and Chris Coons tell the inside story tomorrow on 60 Minutes. pic.twitter.com/aewV9v91m1
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) September 29, 2018
In an interview with “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley airing Sunday, Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, and Chris Coons, D-Delaware, discussed what they thought of Kavanaugh’s emotional testimony. Both senators were instrumental in delaying a floor vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination for one week while the FBI conducts an investigation into claims against him.
. . . . Coons said Kavanaugh’s reaction to questions posed by Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Amy Klobuchar about his drinking and behavior in high school “went over a line.”
“He was clearly belligerent, aggressive, angry. And I thought there was a tough dynamic there. As I watched him, part of me thought, ‘This is a man who believes that he did nothing wrong, and he’s completely unjustly accused. And he’s being railroaded. And he’s furious about it,'” said Coons.
Coons added that Kavanaugh’s more “partisan” responses made him question his fitness for the bench.
“There were some lines that he delivered that were sharper, more partisan, more, ‘This is the Clintons paying me back. This is a Democratic smear campaign,’ that I was surprised, struck to hear from a judicial nominee,” Coons said. “I’m not at all surprised to hear that from other colleagues in the committee or on television. But I was really struck that I thought his anger got the best of him. And he made a partisan argument that would’ve been best left to be made for his advocates and defenders on the committee.”
Flake said he “didn’t like” Kavanaugh’s “mention of the Clintons and whatnot,” but added, “I had to put myself in that spot. I think you give a little leeway there.”
Watch:
Flake’s positioning of himself as some sort of unifying force whose sole mission is to save the Senate and SCOTUS because he is driven by patriotic desires for national unity is unraveling, however.
The plot to further stall the Kavanaugh nomination was hatched Thursday night in Senator Susan Collins’ (R-ME) office. Also allegedly in attendance were Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV). The four put their heads together and realized that as only Flake serves on the Judiciary Committee, they couldn’t pull off their devious plot without the assistance of another Senator serving on the committee.
They somehow landed on Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), and as noted above, Flake has been putting him to good use as a political prop and general useful idiot.
In Susan Collins’ third-floor office in the Capitol, she and her Republican colleagues Jeff Flake of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — joined by Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia — agreed they had the power to make or break Kavanaugh. And without settling on precise details, they decided to use their leverage to insist on a process that would allow them to reach a comfort level with Kavanaugh’s confirmation process and seek more information, rather than to kill his Supreme Court nomination outright, according to two people familiar with the meeting,
What resulted on Friday afternoon threw Washington into chaos and guaranteed another week of uncertainty and suspense surrounding Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Just hours after Flake endorsed Kavanaugh and seemed to put him on a path to the high court, the Arizonan said he first wanted a week-long FBI investigation into Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that the judge assaulted her. It was a victory for Democrats who’d been demanding such a probe, to no avail, and promises to define the retiring Flake’s legacy as someone who refused to let Kavanaugh get a vote while under a cloud of doubt.
. . . . But the Flake-led rebellion, however long it lasts, had been building for nearly two weeks.
Though Murkowski, Collins and Manchin all endorsed the FBI investigation on Friday, Flake needed another partner to pull off his move because none of them serves on the Judiciary Committee. So Flake, who’s been mocked for writing a book blasting the Trump presidency only to vote for his agenda, teamed up with a Democrat.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) has spent his eight-year Senate career making earnest attempts to build relationships with Republicans, at times to liberals’ annoyance. He and Flake have taken trips around the world together as part of their duties. And on Friday afternoon, with a Supreme Court seat on the line, it all paid off.
Coons, who appears to be a hapless victim of Flake’s skullduggery, was then blindsided by Flake’s announcement that he was insisting on a further delay and investigation.
Politico continues:
Coons and Flake vacated the Judiciary Committee shortly before the panel was expected to vote to advance Kavanaugh, a seemingly innocuous moment that left onlookers increasingly bewildered as more senators joined them in the back room. They returned minutes later with a deal that forced GOP leaders to bow to the minority’s demand for an FBI probe, delaying the confirmation for as much as a week.
“I did not expect him to do this today,” Coons said of Flake, speaking for nearly everyone in official Washington.
Flake’s plot doesn’t stop there; it includes signalling to Senate Republicans that his intentions are not to bring down Kavanaugh. It’s unclear how true that is, but Politico continues:
In fact, Flake was playing a longer game. He said his statement supporting Kavanaugh was a signal to Republicans that he wasn’t joining the Democratic resistance and would show he wasn’t out to bring Kavanaugh’s nomination down.
“I hoped that would help provide leverage,” Flake recounted. But he needed some Democrats to endorse the FBI investigation, if not Kavanaugh’s nomination, to get fellow Republicans to agree.
Flake wanted to demonstrate “that the process is fair, at least, even if [Democrats are] not going to vote for” Kavanaugh, he added.
Flake wouldn’t say whether the protesters played a role in his decision. But he acknowledged he was in the middle of a “remarkable” moment and ticked off his “interactions with a lot of people, on the phone, email, text, walking around the Capitol, you name it.”
. . . . In his speech, little-noticed at the time, Coons suggested that someone with a “partisan agenda” might have leaked to the media Ford’s letter alleging the assault — harmonizing with what Republicans had been saying for days. Coons’ speech also repeated his request for an FBI investigation.
It was exactly what Flake was looking for.
Not long afterward, Coons and Flake repaired to a committee anteroom to hash out an agreement: Democrats would endorse a one-week FBI investigation into Kavanaugh, and Flake would use his leverage in the narrowly divided Senate and threaten to vote “no” on the floor if Republicans refused to go along.
There is a somewhat disturbing revelation in the remaining Politico report.
Collins asked that Kavanaugh’s friend Mark Judge, whom Ford alleges was in the room during the alleged assault, sign a letter and send it to the committee rather than let his lawyer do it, according to two Republican senators. The letter was turned around in a matter of hours. And Murkowski had endorsed an FBI investigation days before, only to change her tune after meeting for more than a half-hour privately with McConnell.
We covered this letter which was submitted, the letter states, “under penalty of felony.”
Meanwhile, Flake—again with Coons in tow—was proclaimed a “hero” at Saturday’s Global Citizens Festival.
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Comments
What do you mean? He paints a beautiful picture….to Democrats.
Yes, he engineered it and he’ll most likely be well paid for it, too, at a later time … quietly.
I would like to see Flaky paid in hot tar and feathers. When they are pealing it off, it should be streamed on internet.
Flake is a truly disgusting political slime merchant, in addition to just plain being an idiot.
He had no intention of EVER voting for Kavanaugh, and only vote to get him out of committee because Grassley FINALLY manned up and called the freaking vote.
If he honestly think he has the SLIGHTEST chance of being President in 2020, then he needs professional help.
If Flake is focused on 2020, then I am confused as to which party he wishes to represent. The closer to the midterms that this continues the more the angry Repubican base will be organized to vote. Dems are making a huge error.
My guess is that he, like Kasich, intends to primary President Trump. Kasich has also floated his possible 2020 run as a third party candidate. They are fighting for the same teensy weensy voting bloc, though, so that part should be fun to watch next year.
Dems are desperate for a viable 2020 candidate. This kills Flake’s chances to primary Trump and being so unpopular in AZ, where would his base be? Nope, he is building his base in the Democratic party as the Uniparty establishment NeverTrump candidate.
Well, that maybe his line of thinking, but better men than he have gone that way only to be bitterly disappointed (Romney, for example, heck even McCain–at least he wasn’t an underhanded manipulator. He was totally open about his skeevy squishiness). The left is lunging ever further left–into literal socialism and communism. There is no way that a Flake can win that crowd. They may be hailing him a hero today, but when it comes time to vote they will vote for a real leftist, not a wannabe hack like Flake.
Anonymity, despair and abandonment can’t come soon enough.
All true but I don’t think he is targeting that communist crowd has his base. It’s still about the disgruntled Democrats and disgruntled Republicans as the largest block of voters and they are not communists.
If Flake can hold on to the Democrat establishment voters and attract the Never Trumpers, he might be able to win enough of the borderline communists to voter for someone who could possibly win.
Right now, the Dems are hopelessly divided between the new communists who are undermining the party leadership and the establishment Dems who are running away from Hillary, Sanders, and Warren. The communists don’t have a solid base and consider even Sanders and Warren too conservative so any candidate they produce be it Harris, Booker, or Emanuel, will be a marginal candidate with no chance of winning past the primary.
That leaves only a fusion candidate who appeals to the beleaguered establishments of “both” parties. That would be Flake. He must now have begun to win the support of the establishment old guard and we’ll see if the NeverTrumpers are that insane.
I don’t think he has a chance whatever he does but he could wreak a lot of havoc among the Democrats. For now, it’s Trump and us against the world. I like those odds.
Excellent points, Phil! The problem with the fusion candidate, though, is precisely its appeal to the establishment. Both the left and the right are “over” the establishment of their respective parties. Where is Flake going to land with his manufactured “unity” bid? It’s not even authentic. Who’s going to rally to a fundamentally dishonest and transparently cynical ploy like this? I don’t see it.
Interestingly, we’re really talking about the “no labels” brand that started sometime after the Tea Party was beaten into relative silence. The idea is that it’s the (D) and (R) labels that are crippling our nation, that Obama’s “no red states, no blue states” message–a message we have to acknowledge helped him win the White House in ’08–is still relevant today.
However, I question that it is still relevant in real terms. It’s not been that long, will voters really embrace a “unity” candidate at all, after seeing how hard they were played by Obama in ’08? Flake I think we can count out because he’s obviously not sincere, but any unity candidate? How do you unify free everything for all and at least an 80% tax burden to cover it with free markets, liberty, and small government? There is no middle ground here that is acceptable to either side. Flake can’t bridge that divide; in fact, I would argue he’s the least suitable person to do so.
Someone like Evan Byah might have, or maybe Joe Lieberman could have, or even Joe Manchin. My sense is that such a person must come from the Democrats, probably someone in a red state, simply because the left has the more activist base. We tend to sit around and moan in comment sections of blogs and in social media, show up on election day, and then settle back on our couches. Nothing wrong with that, but the squeaky wheel and all that.
I found Newt Gingrich’s recent article about pressuring Democrats interesting for just this reason. Why shouldn’t we pressure squishy Dems to confirm Kavanaugh? We don’t have to don crazy hats or costumes or act like mob-rule psychos; we can make phone calls, write emails and/or letters, and let our position be known, particularly if we live in states that went for Trump and in which the Dem Senator is weak and up for reelection this year. Why can’t we exert public pressure, without demeaning ourselves, to influence the Senate vote?
If Democrats flip, we don’t need Flake and his useful idiot cabal.
Exactly. Flake is nuts if he thinks the hard left will vote for him.
A huge clue for the dummy should have been when that woman was screaming her lungs out at him while he got on the elevator. Flake will never get her vote or the vote from people like her EVEN if he was solely responsible for sinking Kavanaugh’s nomination.
To the left Flake is a Republican and once you’ve got that R tag on you than you are the enemy to them no matter what you do for them.
@Fuzzy 2:021pm
I think it all boils down to Trump not being anywhere near as vulnerable as the “experts” are hoping for. Trump is more popular that ever with those of us who elected him in 2016 and I have a hard time believing that he isn’t winning even more disgruntled Democrats and disgruntled Republicans with his performance. Look at the turn out and enthusiasm at his rallies this week. He is still at the top of his game and getting better.
Primarying Trump is not going to work. So it’s going to be Trump versus a Democrat. I just don’t see what the Democrats can possibly do. There just is no possible coalition of strange bedfellows that would be appealing even if they could somehow unite. Trump has completely taken over the GOP but for the NeverTrumpers and they can’t get along with anybody except for a few of the Dem establishment geriatric set who are losing their control of the party. Losers uniting with losers?
Like you, I see no path for Flake. All he accomplished was to forever be remembered as Flake the Snake. Friend to no one.
The goal of the #NeverTrumpers and of the #Resistance isn’t to defeat Trump in one fell swoop; they caught on pretty quickly that this was not going to happen. A primary challenge from the supposed center right, they feel, will hobble Trump. I disagree with this theory, but it’s out there (see any of George Will’s recent rantings). I believe that Flake wants to be president and that he would see a primary challenge as a proving ground; he may lose, but he’s set up for victory. Remember Reagan primarying Ford in ’76? The idea wasn’t to win that election (though I’m sure he hoped he would), but it was to lay the groundwork for his ’80 victory.
The difference? Ford was a mediocre, milquetoast blip in our presidential history, and Trump is not. Reagan came forward with bold ideas; Flake and any “unity” candidate will be all kumbaya crazy. Reagan had a vision for the country; Flake and any “unity” candidate has a vision only of themselves in power wrapped up in a pretty pretty bow of completely faux “unity.” Americans won’t buy that again (at least not this soon after ’08), but Flake doesn’t know it. He thinks a 2020 challenge to Trump will set him up for a 2024 win. Sure, he may while away the years as AZ governor, who knows? Flake’s so appealing, don’t you see, to the “globalists” and to the feminists and to the #Resistance and blah blah . . . that he can never ever appeal to Republican voters or to the Democrat base (made up of frothing-at-the-mouth commie loons).
A move for governor perhpas?
Hmmm, maybe. Gubernatorial experience would set him up quite well for a presidential run, but my sense is that he’s pushing for 2020. Who’s to say the hapless and (I believe) well-intentioned Coons isn’t going to be McCain’s Lieberman? McCain wanted to run with Lieberman, after all, and regretted not doing so (he’d have lost, of course, and his campaign would have fizzled long before election day). Maybe Flake is seeing Coons as a running mate? That Global Citizen spectacle sure felt like a campaign stop tryout.
Ultimately, though, what Flake plans for 2020 is not the point of this post. The point is that he masterminded his flip . . . the reasons will become more clear as we move forward, but throwing a good man like Kavanaugh under his (campaign?) bus is revolting on every level.
Flake is not a viable AZ gubernatorial candidate.
He would get destroyed.
Well, he earned his first endorsement from the Women’s March: Rape Apologist.
My sources on the ground here in AZ are telling me Flake is on the take from various leftist orgs.
He’s being run out of AZ, and already has his next gigs lined up.
He has to be the most foolish of all fools if he thinks he stands a chance in 2020.
That said, I have no problem with him being the Rat candidate in 2020.
“Flake’s focus on optics, on his raw ambition (for 2020?)” 2020? Oh, as far as I’m concerned, there’s line ahead of Shake n’ Flake beginning with President Trump. So, he’s about one of the last people I would even consider for POTUS.
This is no surprise at all because thankfully it’s someone who won’t have a spotlight on him for long. He has done everything and anything to block and resist Trump. Flake does represent his name well. I’m surprised only that he wasn’t wearing the required pink hat.
I watched about three minutes before the bias of the interviewer made it intolerable to continue. This is what passes for bipartisan news these days. What a crock.
Flake 2020 is the funniest thing about this whole absurd episode I’ve read so far. He will maybe get 1-3% if that. Come on Arizona what is your problem? You need to stop sending these idiots to the Senate.
I’m doing my part, but most of the other GOP voters find doing what’s necessary to keep RINOs out to be distasteful.
Maybe it’s just a final stick in the collective eye of the American people. Another McCain but still alive.
I don’t buy it; Flake is just one vote, which the GOP can afford to lose by having VP Pence break a tie in the senate. Collins and Murkowski don’t want Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court and are looking for a way to deliver their vote against him while keeping the pretense of being loyal to the GOP (and keeping their privileges as part of the majority).
As seasoned pols they know that it’s very likely that the GOP will keep control of the senate. So they want to stab us in the back, but need a good excuse to do that. I don’t know if they are going to succeed, but I can predict that if the GOP loses its majority in the senate or get another one vote majority as they have now they’ll both switch to the democrats.
We need to vote in the midterms, we need to get a decisive majority and then these two should be stripped of their committee assignments and primaried in the next elections. It might be harder in Collins case and I believe that given all the headaches we get for her “support” we can afford to lose her seat under the “with friends like this” philosophy.
But I can’t believe that we can’t find a real conservative to go against Murkowski in Alaska. Let’s find out and get behind him/her (how about Sarah Palin?), but these two need to go.
Um, have you forgotten what happened the last time Murkowski was primaried?
Do it again. We need to find out how dense the voters are.
Yeah, she lost the primary. She did, however, somehow win the seat via write-in vote. Was this an anomaly? Does Alaska stand behind this senator given all they’ve learned about her? I’m all for finding out.
Somewhere in other topics I pasted the most recent in-state polling showing even split in Ak about Kavanaugh. For Murkowski faithful, 65% or so for Ford. The pipeline, the royalty money, the largess of government has transformed AK from the Last Frontier to the land of the brie. Most effective moose call for hunting season? “Latte!”.
Lisa! signed promise to stay within party primary rules but lost to Joe Miller. She jumped as with the combined Democrat/Media combine and a poorly run race by Miller and Lisa! won. Her base is Left of center and anyone with government hand outs.. which is a LOT in Alaska.
Governor has ordered all public signs to include native languages. This is not just English/French as Canada but a slug of (dying) languages. Barrow of course now is Utqiagvik. Talk about lost in translation. No native languages had writing.
Examples:
Metlakatla is Maaxłakxaała in Tsimshian
The Tlingit name for Juneau is Dzántik’i Héeni
Glacier Bay is Sit’ Eeti Geeyi
Wrangell is Ḵaachx̱aana.áakʼw
Klukwan is Tlakw Áan.
The Chandalar River is either Teedriinjik and Ch’idriinjik in Yup’ik, but there may be other variations.
What the hell is wrong with Arizona Republicans?
There’s nothing especially wrong with AZ or its voters. The same factors in play here are in play in other states too, like Utah nominating Mitt Romney for example. Or Bob Corker in TN.
Believing that you are fine but everyone else is stupid or insane is illogical.
I’m embracing “and”. Evil and moronic.
Antifa might crossover for Flake and give him a couple of early victories. That’s it though. After that, Trump voters will come out in droves and it will be all over.
What I would like to know though is where he think he will get the money? Is there any Republican donor that will fund him after this week?
The guy whose P{residential; aspirations came out ahead this week is Lindsey Graham. Either for 2020, if Trump decides not to run. Or for 2024.
Oh and Kavanaugh. But I think he will be on SCOTUS. Either now or as RBG’s replacement.
Flake sold out for a golden parachute, simple as that. Collins and Murky will be happy to be in the minority again, collecting benefits for stabbing the GOP in the back year after year.
Flake is truly delusional. But I will enjoy the opportunity to vote against him if he’s still in the race when I get to vote. What a sorry excuse for a man. He, like McCain, will find that the Ds like him only when he’s sabotaging the Republicans.
Flake hopes to take over McCain’s role as the Leftist media’s most admired Republican. He forgets that his new Leftist media pals turned on McCain once he got the GOP nomination. Unlike McCain he won’t have a Senate seat to use as a base for his supposed 2020 Presidential bid. Flake is their current useful idiot who they will discard like an over chewed wad of gum.
What a dolt. A smart man would continue the (false) mantle of gravitas and measured sincerity. Especially in the case of outright character assassination of an outstanding individual. To so blatantly telegraph his actual position and his grab for fame and fortune is a stupid move. Everyone, including the Dems, know he is a shallow egotistical pushover. I would admire a cunning man… As in “The Sting”…but he isn’t.
Flake has no national ambitions- his actions this week means he will never win a Republican nomination, and I can’t believe even Jeff Flake is stupid enough to think he can run and win as a Democrat. I had dismissed as conspiracy theory that Flake has been offered a high paying gig on the one of the left-leaning organizations, but on the understanding that he quit helping the Republican majority. However, after that disgusting display of Flake’s at Global Citizen rally, I have to admit I was wrong along- Flake deliberately and carefully stabbed his Republican colleagues in the back. I hope Collins and Murkowski both watched that disgusting on-stage performance- that is who they through in with on Friday, and only yes vote on confirmation will remove that stain from them.
Jeff Flake symbolizes everything wrong with the (R) party and politics in general.
Just a disgusting person who will not combat the beast that is the left. He cannot be gone soon enough.
But, he does so want it to be a “more bipartisan process.” And, he does so “think the country needs to be behind it.” That’s why he pushed for the “gentleman’s agreement.”
Poor guy is just misunderstood.
Decades after regret, a recovered memory, uncorroborated allegations, and changing who, where, and when.
Possible is politically congruent (“=”) to probable.
Burn the warlock. #HateLovesAbortion
I was suspicious of the agonized Flake on Friday- it looked contrived at the time, but I let that suspicion go at the time. However, I can’t dismiss it now- the way he behaved at that rally showed to me he was delighting in the new adulation he was receiving from the Left- that is a clear evidence that Friday morning was an act from beginning to end.
I can now predict what is going to happen this week- the FBI will finish the investigation as promised, and the witness statements will not change– all of witnesses identified by the accusers have already submitted statements they cannot and will not change. However, Flake will then use whatever reed the Democrats hand to him to demand another week to “make absolutely sure Kavanaugh deserved confirmation”, and he will try to conjole either Collins or Murkowski to go along. I don’t know what the two female senators are going to do in that case, but if either of them watched the stage act of Flake at Global Citizen, I think they will finally understand they were played Friday like violins.
the problem is the three got backed into the corner because yet another contripulation was given to them (Democrats) by the Republicans
McConnell (I feel) is going to force the vote two Mondays from now
Flake may vote NO – since he clearly cannot win another public office again
the problem is the other two need the Republican party to continue the advancement in their careers
————
what I think what the RINO’s and red state Democrats were really hoping for was a pulled nomination or Kavanaugh just outright quitting
his Thursday opening statement pretty much showed everyone he was staying in the mix, even if it was till the bitter end
that threw a monkey wrench into Flake, Collins, Corker, and Murkowski’s plans as well as vulnerable Democrats like Joe Manchin
for the RINO’s – it won’t look good on their resume if they are on record voting NO to advance Kavanaugh based on a 36 year allegation with both no evidence and sworn statements contesting the accuser
for the red state Democrats – a NO vote will be used against them in their re-election bid in states won by sizeable margins by Trump
have the fbi check the grave… i think McCain has ‘flake’s of his ashes all over this
McConnell kept Flake on the Judiciary Committee and Grassley decided that he manage a rape trial in his committee’s Kangaroo Court; typical GOPe failures.
We still have Obamacare, we have no wall and the courts are running our immigration program.
Do people still call Flake Senator?
So if this was some great deal for the sake of unity – for the salvation of the senate and supreme court, why didn’t Coons cross the aisle and vote to move Kavanaugh out of committee and to the floor? You know, show solidarity with his buddy Flake (R) and that a (D) could potentially be persuaded to confirm?
Less Critical Identity Theory, more History.
Benedict Arnold.
A very interesting life to study. Brilliant. Accomplished. Funny how far standard have fallen – even the TRAITORS of the 18th century were better men than the traitors in the 21st. They get Benedict Arnold, we get John McCain, John Kerry and Jeff Flake.
(hey Fen, remember when you asked me to tell you when you were doing that rambling thing…)
Oh. My point – after he turned on America, the Brits still loathex him and he was never accepted into society. Flake is too ignorant to realize that his new masters will have nothing but contempt for him. People hate traitors.
It’s kind of like Wile E. Coyote ran for office, that Flake.
Part of the problem here is that Susan Collins is unduly impressed by “statements under oath.” There was a report that she was troubled by the Swetnick allegation that came through Avenatti because it was in the from of a “sworn statement”, whereas the Ramirez allegations were published in a New Yorker article, and she has yet to make them herself.
That’s why she wanted a letter from Judge that was signed by him rather than a letter from his lawyer with the same information.
Apparently she is willing to place more credence in a “sworn” statement — even though the next person prosecuted for making a false statement to the Senate about a court nominee will be the first.
Form over substance crapola.
The reason this circus, and Flake’s preening, infuriate so many people is because the entire case against Kavanaugh built by the Democrats is weak.
Every time there is a big public event, people come out of the woodwork in an attempt to capitalize on it. It is now established policy for police departments to leave out identifying details about a crime, in part to separate out the “tips” and “confessions” that have nothing to do with it. Even confessions of murder occur with dismaying frequency.
This particular event is no exception. Indeed, we have seen an accusation about something that happened about a boat withdrawn and referred for criminal investigation, the “confessions” of two people who claim to have been the real culprits to abuse Ford summarily dismissed, and Avenatti’s latest claim to fame largely dismissed as nonsense.
US Senators are no strangers to lurid, and baseless claims. In this case, we have a woman who has made a claim that is devoid of corroboration. Without some kind of corroboration, all they had was some woman willing to read a script, and they knew it. So they tried to over-use the word credible and say they believed her, knowing full well that her story was unsupported.
Lindsey Graham is right: this case is so weak that their adoption of it is unethical. When prosecutors latch onto lurid cases like this and advance them despite their obvious shortcomings, they eventually get disbarred.
Graham also pointed out Feinstein’s lawyer referral to Ford illegal. Desperate attempt to regain momentum after ignored by Cali Dem Party. If (when!) Kavanaugh confirmed she may be scapegoat for bungling investigation .
Flake is slick slime.
If the above story is true, then Flake is gambling that the FBI investigation will take place, the vote will be taken, Kav confirmed, and then everyone will forgive him for delaying the process and he will be able to position himself in the primary as the “adult, fair process, clear thinking, mostly non partisan, Republican candidate” that we can all vote for because he is the antithesis of Trump.
Sure. Didn’t we already have a Republican Senator that couldn’t win in his own state but ran for President and got slaughtered in the primary? Been there, done that.
Somebody had opined, either on this website, or, another one, that Flake is almost certainly doing this with an eye towards being handsomely-rewarded with some sort of TV role on one of the big networks and/or, a large advance on another useless political memoir. Basically, selling out for transparent financial benefit, to be realized at some point in the future.
I just want to shake the hand of whoever broke his nose, and I can well imagine why it happened. Looks like a solid left to me.
I think one can count Flake as a definite no vote. Whether he is a fool or venal does not matter. His immediate future is a “John Brennan” type gig on a Democrat controlled propaganda outlet.
It would be condign of McConnell and the rest of the Republicans toss him from the caucus after the election. That way he won’t be able to go to his new gig claiming to be a Republican.
That may actually be an idea. If Flake can’t go to his new gig as a gadfly Republican it will hurt his credibility. It might be enough to get him to vote “present”.
“A RINO in the majority (or four of them) is more dangerous than a Democrat in the minority.”
Matt, you wrote (or copied and pasted): “A RINO in the majority (or four of them) is more dangerous than a Democrat in the minority.”
Bumper sticker slogans are not viable arguments.
Are these \the only two choices? What makes you think Democrats will always be in the minority? What happens when this slipshod thinking lands us with a Democrat majority (or supermajority) in one (or both) Houses? Frankly, if we lose the House and/or the Senate, I don’t want to hear the tiniest moan from anyone who is currently posting this type of thing. You forfeit your right to gripe about Democrats when you support them with bumper sticker nonsense.
If you think it’s bad with some RINOs holding the power cards, the answer is to send more Republicans not to send more Democrats. How is this hard?
“…or copied and pasted…”
I’m starting a meme, but this site won’t accept cat pictures so I have to do it with words.
“Bumper sticker slogans are not viable arguments.”
That depends on whether they’re true and capture the essence of an argument without oversimplifying. I believe I’ve met both requirements.
“Are these are the only two choices? What makes you think Democrats will always be in the minority? What happens when this slipshod thinking lands us with a Democrat majority (or supermajority) in one (or both) Houses?”
All very good questions. I will argue all of them at the same time: We’ve tried it the establishment way and that got us to this point, which I find to be unacceptable. If you have another suggestion, I’m all ears.
Frankly, I’m already tired of hearing people bitch and moan about the actions of the RINOs they elected. If you want different results, you have to do something differently.
“If you think it’s bad with some RINOs holding the power cards, the answer is to send more Republicans not to send more Democrats. How is this hard?”
If you send 4 more Jeff Flakes to the Senate, how do you see that working out?
Hehe, memes can’t be memes if they don’t make sense. Yours doesn’t make sense (there are far more than the two scenarios you include in your meme), and while memes don’t have to be factual, they do–perhaps ironically–have to make sense. Or they won’t catch on. And thus cannot become memes.
Anyway, social media pedantry aside, I have to say that I get your anger, your feeling of impotence, and your desire to lash out. This is a hugely troubling time for all of us, and I can’t think of another time in U.S. history that there was such suppressed outrage and pure rage.
The thing we can’t do is make decisions based in that rage and outrage. When was the last time you made a rage- or outrage-based decision and everything came up roses?
I voted for Trump for two reasons and only two reasons: I live in Florida, in the Panhandle (i.e. Central time), and Hillary was projected to win my state. I could not allow that without doing everything in my power to stop it; my power is my vote. I voted for Trump, not because I liked him or thought he’d be a good president; I voted for him because the alternative was absolutely, a thousand times guaranteed to be worse. This is the same reason I voted for Romney (Obama was worse). And actually, apart from Sarah Palin, my vote for McCain was just as cynical. McCain was better than Obama; whatever untrustworthy flaky pants McCain would do, it couldn’t be as bad as what Obama would (and did) do.
I’m so happy we have Trump and not Hillary. So so happy. And he’s doing a great job, and I am looking forward to voting FOR him (and not AGAINST his opponent) in 2020. But that’s the point here, we have to make these decisions in every election. Do we think we’d be better off with Trump or Hillary? With McCain or Obama? With Romney or Obama? Once the primaries are over, that’s our choice: the Republican, no matter how squishy, or the Democrat, a true progressive at best and a socialist or communist at worst.
I’m not telling you how to vote. I’m just telling you that it is destructive to attack the GOP when they are not your enemy right now. The idea is not to elect four more Flakes, but to elect four more Republicans; we would hope the states can select good candidates, but if they can’t or won’t, I’d rather have a squishy GOP than a commie loon.
And yes, since you asked, I’d rather have four Jeff Flakes in the Senate than four Spartacus Bookers or four Fauxahauntus Warrens. Remember, our goal is not more Flakes; it’s more Cruz, more Lee, more dependable members.
But let’s assume that your (blatantly faulty) premise is true, that any Republican elected MUST be the RINO equivalent of Flake, do I really have to explain in detail why even a Flake is better than a Booker or a Warren or a Kamala Harris? If so, this conversation is moot.
Do you always patronize readers this much, or should I feel honored? Maybe it’s just your sense of fear showing; I know that trying something new can be a scary time, full of dread for the future. You should try meditation, or maybe get a hobby.
the present crisis (and I would assert, many other crises) have been caused by RINOs. The Democrats had no power to derail the Kavanaugh proceedings without inside help.
You’ve said that we need to elect more Republicans, but made no claims on the QUALITY of those Republicans. The status quo elects far too many RINOs. You have no answer to solve that problem, so you attack others who are trying to make the country a better place.
That’s sad.
Here’s another bumper sticker slogan for you: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Feel free to explain how that’s wrong to the rest of us.
You know, I think it’s hard to express oneself in writing sometimes. I certainly don’t mean to patronize you, but I can’t really see what makes you think I have. I was just stating what I think; I’m not sure why you’d take that so personally; even when I say your premise is blatantly faulty, I am just stating an objective, provable fact. It’s not like you really thought it was a viable argument. Unless you did, and that’s why you found me patronizing? Yikes! Sorry about that.
Ultimately, though, you totally out-patronized me, and I think it’s great! I’m full of dread and need a hobby! Oh, and I should try meditation. Hee! Too cute! I don’t mind your silliness, but I do find it interesting that you attack me as a person when I questioned only your assertions about voting for RINOS and your critical thinking skills in this regard. No matter, though. I’m just not that interested in what you think of me.
Anyway, you asked me another ill-considered question, and now I find myself in a quandary. It’s like when your wife asks, “does my butt look fat in this?”. There’s no good answer. Sigh.
So I wonder, what happens if I respond honestly to your question; I’m guessing you will wilt and melt away if I point out that the question itself is faulty. What to do, . . . what to do . . . ? I guess I just won’t answer since I am truly concerned about your feelings and worry that my response would make you feel condescended to, feed your sense of victimhood, and cause you further unnecessary emotional turmoil. I really don’t know you that well, so I don’t want to be the cause of all that emotional goo. I don’t do well with emotional goo.
So let’s say you won this question and that everyone should immediately elect every Democrat to every office in the land. Yay!?! Great plan.
“Do you always patronize readers this much, or should I feel honored?”
You should feel honored you nitwit. There was nothing patronizing about FS’s response.
I didn’t think so, either, Barry. That’ll teach me to attempt to interact with people I don’t know and that don’t know me. 🙁
Barry says: “You should feel honored you nitwit. There was nothing patronizing about FS’s response.”
Fuzzy Slippers said: “Anyway, social media pedantry aside, I have to say that I get your anger, your feeling of impotence, and your desire to lash out.”
I’m not any more angry than I ought to be, I’m not impotent (nice choice of words, BTW), and I didn’t “lash out.” OTOH, maybe I “pounced” or “seized” on something?
Yeah, Barry. Those were completely neutral statements from FS, nitwit.
Matt, you need better reading comprehension skills. Or thicker skin.
Or both.
Matt_SE
It is a bogus assertion that having 4 RINOS in the majority is less desirable than having a Dem majority. The latter implies the Dems, by virtue of being “the majority” have the majority of votes AND also implies that they have the many additional powers that come from being the majority party.
Your argument is only logical if you want the Democrats to have more votes and more power than the Republicans. Not sure how that helps stop the crazy on display…but okay.
My statement: “A RINO in the majority (or four of them) is more dangerous than a Democrat in the MINORITY.”
I’ve helpfully capitalized and highlighted the word where your analysis went wrong. Unfortunately, I don’t know the html code to make it flash in neon colors.
If the Democrats were projected to be close to the 50/50 mark, this would be a dangerous strategy. But everyone seems to agree that the Senate isn’t in that much danger. I project the GOP will pick up 4 seats, although the range is 2 to 9.
Flake may get his MSNBC job, but he is going to be a non-entity going forward. Collins and Murkowski will probably remain in the majority, given that several Dem senators are behind in the polls. Let us work hard to make sure their future votes are never necessary.
Flake is a piece of garbage. We all know that. He’s merely jockeying for his Soros golden parachute (book deal, talk show guest, etc.)
That said, this is a taste of what it was to live in the Soviet Union under stalin.
Only in the world of Social Justice can a cse be made wit ZERO objective evidence. Not even any subjective evidence. A Social Justice Lynch Mob is loose upon the country.
Another bumper sticker for Matt: “Social Justice” is No Justice.
Jeff Flake thinks Chris Coons wants to “heal” this system too. If Coons turns on the waterworks again, Flake’s voting no. I am almost certain Flake’s vote on Kavanaugh is tied into getting one Democrat to vote yes. The problem is that Manchin and the other red state Democrats aren’t voting conscience, they will vote yes if Republicans have the votes.
If you note Flake’s travelogue (even if he didn’t make all the dates): The Global Citizen concert, TribFest, now the NH speech where talks about getting past these “dark times” he’s going to say the only way to heal this system is a candidate both parties can live with. He views his positioning in the center as the man to bridge the gap. The statements from 60 Minutes, even with quantifiers, about Kavanaugh’s “sharp” attacks have me doubling down. He views the process as too partisan, so if there’s no Democrat support, he will vote no.
I hope I’m wrong and that he sees when the Democrats want more time he’ll see the game. I strongly have my doubts. I think Kavanaugh is done and the Republicans lose the Senate because Flake disheartens the base. Flake then goes to Iowa and starts setting up shop, and I wouldn’t even be that surprised if Coons is a vp candidate on a “unity” ticket with some sort of understanding that the only policy will be that which both agree.
if that is the case then someone in Flake’s staff really needs to sit him down and answer a simple question
which party has made everything in DC partisan?
is he blind to the Democrat brand the past 16 years?
does he see the extremes Trump has brought to the fore since he has been elected?
Flake cannot possibly be that dense to think the Left today will ever make any attempt to approach middle ground with the Right
“Flake cannot possibly be that dense to think the Left today will ever make any attempt to approach middle ground with the Right…”
Flake will get his money, and his tv role as Bill Kristol II. That’s all he cares about.
On the other hand: Flake/Sessions in 2020!
He was the first to push Palin.
Does anyone pay any attention to Kristol anymore? Didn’t he pimp David French as an alternative to Trump?
Yeah. Flake would be right at home buried in the same pile of irrelevancy as those flakes.
Statehood for Alaska and Hawaii. Two major mistakes.
Meanwhile, the GoFundMe campaign for Kavanaugh, started by John Hawkins five days ago, suddenly took off today. $403,000 raised as of this moment. And what’s interesting is that at least half of the donors, if not more, are women : https://www.gofundme.com/support-brett-kavanaugh
It’s over $411K and going strong… just checked.
Brought to us by the same voters who inflicted John McCain upon the country, year after year after year.
FYI: Josh Hawley who is running against Claire McCaskill is up 2 points over her since she said she would not vote for confirmation. Shall we help him out?
It partly takes a Dem talking point off the table. These FBI investigations don’t draw conclusions. There are no knowable facts about 35+ year ago teenage shenanigans anyway. And it’s only 1 week, now 5 days and counting.
It’s not that bad. Things will be OK. And if they aren’t, then BK wouldn’t have gotten 50 votes anyway, because ether same people who vote against him this Friday would have voted against him last Friday without a pointless pro forma investigation to hide behind.
You’re ignoring deep state involvement, which we know is happening thanks to Flake.
Well the accusations are starting. A classmate is going to declare that the judge drank a lot, etc etc.
After thinking about it a lot, if Flake is on the ballot when I vote next Pres primaries, I will not vote for him but I will make a write in vote.
Dogcatcher Nyet Flake.
Even people do this and it will be announced.
I thought it was obvious Flake engineered this whole thing when the elevator scene hit the newswires. Why is most striking about it is Flake’s security detail is somehow missing, and two agitators plus a CNN news crew miraculously happen to catch Flake in that elevator, evading all security to get there. That looks like a staged scene to me.
Flake is not only a sorry SOB, but he is also a total waste of human flesh. He wonders why his popularity hangs around 10-12%?
Mr. Flake is a Democrat pure and simple,no wonder he chose not to run for reelection.
Hmmm… or perhaps I should say, harummph. I don’t believe it, not for a minute. If the FBI investigation focuses on the Democrats who manipulated Professor Ford into changing her story from 4 unidentified assailants to Judge Kavanaugh and his friend, then I might believe it. But “playing a long game?” Flake is stepping down in a couple of months, and he’s not going anywhere near the 2020 nomination with this.
I think he did it because he hates Trump more than he loves America.