All of sudden, things just turned perilous for Republicans and Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court.
This Thursday, Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault in high school, is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. That is, she’s set to testify as of this writing. There are now questions of whether or not she’ll go through with it. (RELATED: Kavanaugh Accuser Christine Blasey Ford Indicates She May Not Testify After All.)
Right now, a lot rides on this testimony. Should Kavanaugh perform well, he’ll likely be confirmed. If Ford drops a new bombshell and evokes sympathy, she could bring him down. If Ford doesn’t testify, Kavanaugh will also be confirmed. (RELATED: If Christine Blasey Ford Doesn’t Testify, Brett Kavanaugh Will Be Confirmed.)
Unfortunately, while Republicans have largely signaled they’re standing behind Kavanaugh, there may be some defectors. Currently, all eyes are on Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lise Murkowski of Alaska. Both are moderate Republicans who try to appeal to their female constituency. So far, Collins had indicated she’s very much open to voting for Kavanaugh. (RELATED: Susan Collins Questions The Timing Of Kavanaugh Bombshell.)
Sen. Murkowski is a wild card, however. And her vote is now in question even more after the governor of her state announced his opposition to Kavanaugh.
Alaska’s governor and lieutenant governor announce their opposition to Brett Kavanaugh, putting the spotlight on Alaska’s Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski. https://t.co/24vV1MHFEv
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) September 21, 2018
Just this morning, Sen. Murkowski was asked if an FBI investigation is necessary to clear Kavanaugh. She indicated it may be:
.@mkraju Should there be a full FBI investigation into allegations from Kavanaugh’s past?
Sen. @lisamurkowski: “It would sure clear up all the questions, wouldn’t it?”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 25, 2018
Well, that’s certainly not good. Murkowski didn’t say she’s not voting for Kavanaugh. But she did signal that’d she’d welcome an FBI investigation, which would delay the confirmation process even more. Of course, that’s been the Democrats’ plan all along: delay, obstruct, and push back the Kavanaugh vote until after the midterms. (RELATED: Senator Dianne Feinstein Won’t Set Up Call for Kavanaugh Accuser to Testify.)
The FBI has already said it won’t get involved in the matter. But entertaining the notion that the Bureau could clear up the issue only gives the Democrats legitimacy in their asinine request. Again, this was a bad move on Murkowski’s part.
With a slim 51-seat majority, Republicans can’t afford any defections on the Kavanaugh vote. Murkowski’s loss may prove fatal to Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
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To make matters worse, now some Senate Republicans are indicating their vote will be influenced greatly by Thursday’s testimony:
Kavanaugh’s GOP support is shaken. And it’s not just Corker, Flake, Collins and Murkowski: Both Capito, Rubio now say they need to see what happens on Thursday. “Most of our members are going to wait ‘til Thursday,” says Sen. Thune
@BresPolitico https://t.co/80rb9eaht1— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) September 25, 2018
Everything rests on Thursday. Let’s hope Kavanaugh does a great job and is able to clear his name.
