Kavanaugh to the Senate floor- AFTER a brief FBI investigation
The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to send the Kavanaugh nomination to the full Senate, with one significant proviso.
Sen Jeff Flake, the Trump critic who is retiring next year, insisted on at least a brief FBI investigation as a condition of supporting Kavanaugh on the floor. It appears that the nomination will be delayed for a week in order for that to be done.
Better than nothing. But the Trump administration's genius for doing things in exactly the wrong way forced the anti-Trump grownups still in the GOP caucus to force the issue. So much would be solved if the President of the United States and his tantrum-prone followers would just grow up a little and not deliberately and unnecessarily antagonize people who don't need to be their enemies.
The vote will be close. I suspect Kavanaugh will be confirmed- and serve under a cloud. But one or two Republican defections, and it's all over.
Oh. And one more point: let it never again be said that the remaining grown-ups in the Republican party can't make a difference. This isn't going to be the kind of investigation that should have been done routinely, but at least it will partially dispel the impression the feckless Trump administration is leaving yet again that it's trying to pull a fast one and get away with something.
Sen Jeff Flake, the Trump critic who is retiring next year, insisted on at least a brief FBI investigation as a condition of supporting Kavanaugh on the floor. It appears that the nomination will be delayed for a week in order for that to be done.
Better than nothing. But the Trump administration's genius for doing things in exactly the wrong way forced the anti-Trump grownups still in the GOP caucus to force the issue. So much would be solved if the President of the United States and his tantrum-prone followers would just grow up a little and not deliberately and unnecessarily antagonize people who don't need to be their enemies.
The vote will be close. I suspect Kavanaugh will be confirmed- and serve under a cloud. But one or two Republican defections, and it's all over.
Oh. And one more point: let it never again be said that the remaining grown-ups in the Republican party can't make a difference. This isn't going to be the kind of investigation that should have been done routinely, but at least it will partially dispel the impression the feckless Trump administration is leaving yet again that it's trying to pull a fast one and get away with something.
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