The other possibility is that Flake’s move set up a win for Kavanaugh on the Senate Floor. Graham said that they didn’t have the votes on Friday. This move was designed to get Murkowski and Collins votes. That is the only way to get Kavanaugh approved. The notion that we could have won on the floor without this concession is fantasy.
I do think that the Dems may have opened up a Pandora's box. Cory Booker theoretically is now open to an FBI investigation of his 'groping' incident. DiFi should now be open to an FBI investigation of why she kept a Chinese spy under her employment.