UPDATE: Sen. Donnelly (D-IN) is a "no" vote. Flake is a "yes." When asked about the status of Murkowski and Collins, our Senate insider source said everything was fine in the GOP's backyard. We still have the votes.
UPDATE II: Well, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who pledged his support for the Kavanaugh nomination, decided to stab his party in the back by pushing for a weeklong delay prior to the final vote in order for the FBI to do an investigation. Manchin, Collins, and Murkowski have all backed this delay, which isn’t the same as a declaration of opposition. While Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) announced he was a “no” vote, he was never included in the batch of senators who were solid on this nomination. It’s a serious hiccup. It certainly can lead to more antics from the Left. It gives them breathing room. It gives them more oxygen for this smear campaign to continue. Bravo, Jeff Flake. You’ve become the Democrats’ favorite Republican today. Maybe we should have expected this; I was hoping for no more foul ups. Never wish for anything in politics I guess.
Via WaPo:
Senate Republican leaders agreed Friday to reopen the FBI background investigation of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh after two key Republicans suggested they would not vote to confirm him to the Supreme Court without additional information on his alleged sexual misconduct while he was a teenager.
The announcement followed a vote along party lines by the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination, after securing a vote from Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who asked for a delay of up to a week before the full Senate decides the judge’s fate.
Another senator considered a swing vote on the floor, Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), said she agrees with Flake, leaving GOP leaders little choice but to slow down the process, given their slim 51-49 margin in the chamber.
Republican leaders said they still plan to move ahead with a procedural vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination on Saturday but will postpone a final vote on his confirmation that they had hoped would take place Tuesday.
Recommended
Sen. Cornyn confirmed that a supplemental FBI investigation will be conducted on a weeklong timeline. The Senate Judiciary Committee still voted on a 11-10 party line vote to advance the Kavanaugh nomination to the Senate floor.
I applaud Senator Flake's decision to rise above the partisan circus on display during this entire process. It is what is right and fair for Dr. Ford, Judge Kavanaugh, and the American people. pic.twitter.com/VYoyYN6XQP
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) September 28, 2018
I support this sensible agreement. pic.twitter.com/5QtenWGGqb
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) September 28, 2018
#BREAKING: Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key swing vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, told reporters she supports GOP Sen. Jeff Flake’s request for a one-week delay in the confirmation process for an FBI investigation. https://t.co/AxINKkFUaX
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) September 28, 2018
UPDATE III: The drama is over. Flake, Manchin,and Collins are voting to confirm Kavanaugh. We have the votes. The game is over:
Cornyn: “I’m proud of Senator Collins for resisting the intimidation”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 5, 2018
McConnell on Collins speech: “It was an extraordinary speech. One of the best I’ve ever heard. It came at the right time.”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 5, 2018
With Collins/Manchin as yeas, Kavanaugh should get 51 yeas if Daines is present. Confirmation would be 50-49 if Daines is absent
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 5, 2018
Manchin to back Kavanaugh.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 5, 2018
Collins to vote yes on Kavanaugh
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 5, 2018
Judge Kavanaugh will soon become Justice Kavanaugh on a 50-49 vote, with Manchin and Collins announcing they will vote for him
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) October 5, 2018
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) October 5, 2018
***
With the Senate Judiciary Committee holding a vote at 9:30 A.M. tomorrow, a Senate insider has told Townhall that Kavanaugh has the votes to make it out of committee and the votes to be confirmed on the floor for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Sens. Flake (R-AZ), Collins (R-ME), Murkowski (R-AK), and Manchin (D-WV) are expected to vote in favor of Kavanaugh. All the Republicans are voting yes. Also, in the rumor mill, several Democrats may break ranks and back Kavanaugh. That’s the ball game, folks.
It was an intense and hellacious day at the Senate Judiciary Committee. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Judge Brett Kavanaugh of an attempted rape while at a high school party, told her story of her alleged sexual assault. It was intense. It was emotional. And it still lacked evidence, witnesses, and other corroborating details. It’s an unprovable allegation, which is what Democrats want; it allows them to delay and run out the clock on this nomination. The FBI investigation talking point has been beaten to death by Senate Democrats, another delay tactic that has been undercut by past remarks by none other than Joe Biden. When he chaired the committee during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, Biden famously said that FBI reports are inconclusive and should not be relied on during sexual misconduct allegations.
Brett Kavanaugh testified later this afternoon, giving an emotional and fiery defense of his character and career after it had been under a sustained assault by the Left for over a week. Kavanaugh said that the allegations—all three of them—were false and have irreparably damaged his reputation and damaged his family life. He said this process had become a national disgrace, with Democrats replacing advise and consent with search and destroy. Kavanaugh needed to come out swinging. He needed to be tough. And he did just that.
Donnelly, Manchin, Murkowski and Collins are all expected to vote the same way, per senators and aides
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) September 28, 2018
Interesting: A source close to Senator Manchin tells me now, "Short of claims that definitively prove Dr. Ford's allegations or a realization that Kavanaugh will gut the healthcare law, Manchin will side with the overwhelming number of people in WV who want Kavanaugh confirmed."
— Elaina Plott (@elainaplott) September 28, 2018
With no evidence, no corroborating witnesses, and the timing of the allegation, these allegations against an eminently qualified judge were just too thin to stop the Kavanaugh train. Remember Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) office had Ford’s letter since July. They sat on it for weeks. They kept it from Senate colleagues. And then they dropped it at the 11th hour in the hope of derailing the nomination. It was a Hail Mary pass—and it failed miserably. It looks like their efforts to kill the Kavanaugh nomination turned out to be a bomb that went off in their faces after all.
Once again: we win, and the Democrats lose, which means it’s a great day for America. Justice Kavanaugh is another move Making America Great Again.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member