Call me hopelessly optimistic, but these don’t sound like the sort of words we’d here from somebody who was chomping at the bit to vote to confirm on Friday without at least a thorough reading of the report.
Meanwhile, shredders are being put to high use in the Oval Trailer…
I am getting optimistic too. McConnell is looking desperate. Is it possible there are others starting to waver as well? I sense this is crumbling…
I actually agree—I think Flake is almost hoping that the investigation turns up something that puts him in the “no” category. My fear is that the FBI is going to return an “inconclusive” whitewash, even though Ramirez has given them corroborating witnesses.
One of the things that gives me pause here is that NeverTrumpers are not the same as NeverKavanaughs.
Beer-Belch Bart may be gaining on Trump in the Horrible-Person Department, be he’s Federalist Society.
To establishment Republicans, that’s catnip.
Rosenstein and Wray – despite any personal disgust at Trump – are quintessential establishment Republicans.
And they, of course, ultimately decide where this “investigation” goes…or doesn’t.
I would normally agree, but in this case the individual in question has been credibly accused of sexual assault and appears to be concocting lies to cover up that fact. In the end the vote they cast will be a testament on who they believe. This is a vote that will not be forgotten. Do they believe Dr. Ford or Kavanaugh?
Maybe it’s the best kind we could hope for. A nearly extinct species that rode “law & order” until it crashed in the Valley of Demographics. In spite of everything, I don’t see these two particular LE pros swallowing the turd that Kavavfuck is.
Usually you only want partial information from ongoing investigations if you want to warn or influence people who have yet to be contacted.
McConnell was hoping that framing the matter as a criminal court case and applying the associated standards of evidence and standards for conviction to Ford v. Kavanaugh would ensure the outcome he wanted.
Trumpp added the strategy of going into full outrage and attack mode, giving no ground on the facts and blaming the Democrats for…everything…would win the day.
The combined approach very nearly succeeded last week. Trumpp’s strategy made it harder for GOP Senators to vote with the Dems, and McConnell’s framing gave them a way to say that Ford’s testimony alone isn’t enough.
Now, with more time for people to absorb the testimony, Trumpp’s strategy (Kavanaugh’s demeanor) may be giving red-state Dem Senators cover to vote no, and the McConnell framing that insists on having good evidence for a decision has been creating pressure to expand the FBI background investigation.
I think Kavanaugh is still more likely than not to get confirmed, but Trumpp just said that it wouldn’t be acceptable if Kavanaugh lied to Congress. If McConnell isn’t able to backtrack that or get it defined as “lying about whether or not he assaulted Ford,” that would greatly reduce Kavanaugh’s odds.
Quintessential law and order establishment Republicans.
Big difference.
Everything we’ve seen since early 2017 is that US IC (incl FBI) for the most part loathe the Mango Menace with the fire of a 1000 suns. FBI NY field office being most glaring exception.
I don’t see any reason to believe Wray or Rosenstein would contribute to further destruction of SCOTUS when they’re trying to bring #TeamTreason to justice.
I think a key thing here is going to be what the FBI produces, and if senators decide that their report is all that matters. Today the news is full of the story where Kavanaugh and his handlers were talking to people back in July to head off any allegations Ramirez might bring forward; if text messages are produced, and if Kavanaugh did send them, then he committed perjury by saying he didn’t know anything about that before the New Yorker story came out. There’s no other way to look at that, it would be an outright lie (one of many, I know).
However, if the senators get an FBI report that doesn’t look into those messages, then they can dismiss any media report they want to and vote for Kavanaugh. It’s already being framed this way, with the FBI report the arbiter of justice, and the investigation circumscribed so it doesn’t go into matters that would show Kavanaugh is guilty of perjury. The FBI itself may or may not be able to talk to all the people coming forward to say Kavanaugh lied, and if they don’t then Republicans will say Kavanaugh is clean and push him through.
The real question will be if the couple of Republicans who are on the fence will be willing to look beyond the FBI cover for something more like the truth…if they are, and if they are willing to go against their party, then Kavanaugh is done. I doubt they are willing to break with the party though, so without something that can’t be ignored they will approve him. Maybe Flake will vote against, but Pence will be in the room to make sure Kavanaugh gets on the Court. The Democrats will probably investigate him and all of the stories after they take back the House, but by then it will be too late.