Repost from other thread, sorry
Christine Todd Whitman (former Repub NJ Governor 1994-2001) has a piece, very critical of the process (including the snubbing of Merrick Garland) in todays Financial Times. ( Oct.1 /2018).
The title is āThere should be no rush on Supreme Court Decisionā she suggests there may be better choices than BK, ouch.
Makes me think she is aiming for a 2020 POTUS run ? (She is 72, maybe not the best age )
some bits
and
I take it as a āNOā to Judge Kavanaugh, right ?
"Seven days is an eternity,ā a Kavanaugh ally told Politico. āNo good things can happen to Kavanaugh in that time except for calling the vote.ā
Who talks like this? Seven days is an eye-blink. If given free reign (which they havenāt been), the FBI are fully capable of screening out ridiculous allegations from fame-seekers and otherwise unreliable witnesses.
When your strategy isnāt āthe truth shall set you freeā, isnāt that consciousness of guilt? Asking for a friendā¦
Is perjury one the table as part of the investigation?
ā¦giving moderates like Sens. Flake, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) outsize influence.
In what light is Flake a moderate? Once he decided to retire, he became somewhat vocal against Trump, but so far has given little hope of a no vote on Kavanaugh. If he had serious concerns he would have held up the committee vote until the investigation had been completed.
Whereās the assurance or confidence that the full FBI report will even be seen by the full Senate? No, I would NOT put it past this administration to leave out any negative info from this 7 day āinvestigationā in the materials they turn over to the Senate.
Thereās your āmoderateāā¦
I have no doubt Flake will flake-out in the end. This thing theyāre doing with the FBI is, as many have already saidā¦a big fat fig leaf. It makes me sad to have to say this, but pretending to walk on eggshells and expect him to do the right thing after this sham investigation is done, will undoubtably be a bridge too far, even for Flake. Instead of continuing to give him kudos, folks need to increase pressure on him to look at how this investigation is being circumscribed on purpose. Flake needs to see this as just another attempt to push Kavanaugh through without an honest and sincere investigation to get at the truth.
Exactly. Flake has carefully crafted a public image such that the gullible press keeps calling him a moderate, even as he votes straight party line every time (after much exaggerated furrowing of brow and feigned hemming and hawing). Heās just feathering his future lobbying/think tank nest.
Flake has already voted yes to Kavanaugh. The FBI investigation has its hands completely tied and will find nothing conclusive, so Flake will have the perfect excuse to confirm Kavanaugh. Anyway, even if the FBI found that Kavanaugh raped 10 women, Flake would find a way to wriggle out of doing the right thing, maybe by pleading that at least he didnāt lie about those other 10 women. Who knows? The fix is in, no matter what the FBI finds.
reactions to Sen. Jeff Flakeās (R-AZ) last minute call for an FBI investigation, lest he make another critical decision based on his heart.
Objections, facts not in evidence.