Posted on 09/29/2018 7:38:13 PM PDT by MaxistheBest
As the Senate Judicial Committee gathered to vote Friday afternoon to move Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination for a vote in the Senate, word trickled out that Democrat Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana was a no vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination. Donnelly is in a tough re-election race back home and Republicans hope to separate him from the herd of Democrats in lock-step opposition Judge Kavanaugh.
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As we all know now, Senator Jeff Flake decided to lob a last-minute bomb into the committee’s proceedings by holding his yes vote hostage to a demand that the FBI investigate Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations. He put a time limit of no longer than a week for the delay. Republicans were forced to go along in order to have the votes to move the process out of the committee and onto the Senate floor.
But, a late afternoon headline in a northwest Indiana newspaper shines a glimmer of a doubt on Senator Donnelly’s commitment to a no vote. He told the newspaper’s editorial board that now he’s willing to wait for the FBI’s report before making a final decision. In other words, Donnelly has moved from a no vote to a maybe.
U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said he will await an FBI investigation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh before deciding whether to raise him to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Donnelly spoke Friday afternoon before The Times Editorial Board.
“I think Hoosiers are where I am on this. I want to know what happened,” he said.
It looks like the last minute demands of the senator from Arizona may give some red-state Democrats cover to vote yes after the FBI investigates. Flake is a weasel. He’s a bitter Never Trumper who, I believe, would like nothing more than to have a big, splashy eff you vote to stick it to President Trump as he ends his time in the Senate. Think John McCain and his dramatic thumbs down on the Obamacare repeal vote. In Flake’s case, he veils his opposition to Trump by virtue-signaling – in this case, it is a sense of fairness to the accuser – yet his voting record is one of siding with Trump more than 90% of the time. He enjoys the attention he receives opposing Trump and the Democrats egg him on. You may have noticed that several Democrats on the committee specifically gave a shout-out to Flake for his hesitancy to vote with the rest of the Republicans.
My theory is that Flake is pushing for a sweet cable tv gig or maybe a spot as a lobbyist (or both) when his time in elected office ends. I don’t think it’s a stretch to imagine he’ll pursue a run for President in the near future.
So, this one week delay may work out to be a plus for the Kavanaugh vote. I was as aggravated as every other conservative when Flake pulled his stunt but maybe there is the silver lining that Donnelly will vote yes in the end. This also allows Senators Collins and Murkowski to vote yes after a renewed investigation while explaining to the voters at home that it was the fair thing to do. Democrats in red-states that Trump won big (bigly) like North Dakota and West Virginia would then be able to do the same. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (ND) and Joe Manchin (WVA) may separate from their herd, too. It’s possible.
Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination is supported by Indiana’s Republican Senator Todd Young.
I am certain that this last minute investigation into the accuser’s allegations against Kavanaugh will not change any other Democrat votes. Most of them were a no vote before the hearings even began. I’m sure none have changed after Thursday’s testimonies, either. I’m not alone in this thought.
While the Democrats claim the Republicans are ramming through this Supreme Court nominee, the fact is that there would not have been any need for last-minute theatrics if Senator Feinstein had handled Dr. Ford’s allegations in good faith from the beginning. Republicans have used traditional procedure and protocol while Democrats deliberately weaponized the #MeToo movement for their own political gain.
Senator McConnell is moving forward with Judge Kavanaugh’s vote in the Senate. The tentative date is next Friday for a vote by the full Senate.
Really doubtful he will vote yes.
And if Donnelly switches, Manchin will be right behind him. In DC it’s all about who blinks first and getting cover for your vote.
Senators Heidi Heitkamp (ND) and Joe Manchin (WVA) may separate from their herd, too
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If either of these votes against Judge K they are done.
It’d be funny to have U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly kicking the Flakster’s butt up and down the halls of the Capitol.
I don’t know you can do that: yes, no, present, maybe
“Really doubtful he will vote yes.”
At first I thought the same thing, but then I realized we don’t think like a DC Rat. They have their own special gutter motivations.
And if Donnelly switches, Manchin will be right behind him. In DC it’s all about who blinks first and getting cover for your vote.
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Those two have a simple choice;
1. Vote against, they are in the good graces of Schumer, lose election.
2. Vote for. Schumer will stab them but they MAY get re=elected.
They are done regardless!!!
“That MAGA rally is headed his way.”
The biggest surprise in the 2016 election is how much influence President Trump has over the electorate. He’s a force and he can move the middle.
I call this BS! The only way he votes yes is if his vote is irrelevant and not needed to defeat the confirmation. Dems always stick together, wish R’s were the same.
Him saying “No” yesterday was the bold main headline on the Indy Star today.
His office, no doubt, got flooded with calls
Believe it when I see it.
I hope part of that was my e-mail. :D
Does he want to keep his seat? There is basically no way Kav does not get every single GOP vote. Schumer may say yes, especially bc Manchin will vote yes.
Manchin, Donnelly, Tester and Heitcamp are likely “yes” votes - even if Flake and the Weak Sisters vote “no”.
If we see a couple more of these flips from Dems, we can say Buh-Bye to the Flake-Collins-Murk Troika, as their votes will not be relevant to the end result.
Tester is part of the Rat leadership, he has to vote NO and has said he will do that.
The democrats getting wiped out allowed them to build a solid coalition last few years. Forget about Flake a moment and the problem on social issues was always Collins and Murkowski...the fact Alabama has a democrat Senator was a real killer...looks like if we don’t pick up some new senators we need a rebuild and I don’t think we survive that...this is the ballgame
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