Posted on 10/05/2018 5:38:59 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Friday evening that she opposed Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination, becoming the only Republican senator to come out against President Trump's nominee.
"I will be a no tomorrow," Murkowski said in a speech on the Senate floor after describing how she had come to lean against voting to confirm Trump's second nominee to the high court in a final vote on Saturday.
But Murkowski said that in the final tally she would ask that her vote be recorded as "present," saying she was doing it as a courtesy to Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who is slated to attend his daughter's wedding back home on Saturday.
"I do this because a friend, a colleague of ours is in Montana this evening and ... he's going to be walking his daughter down the aisle and he won't be present to vote," Murkowski said. "I have extended this as a courtesy to my friend. It will not change the outcome of the vote."
Murkowski, who voted against ending debate on Kavanaugh earlier in the day Friday, said during her speech on the Senate floor that she "was leaning toward supporting Judge Kavanaugh in his nomination."
"But we know that in our role of advice and consent, it is not just the record itself. There is more that is attached to it," she added, mentioning "matters of temperament" and "demeanor."
Murkowski announced her decision hours after it became clear that Kavanaugh had enough votes to be confirmed.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced during her own speech on the Senate floor earlier Friday that she would back his nomination ahead of a final vote set for Saturday afternoon.
Collins's support gave Republicans the necessary 50 votes to allow Vice President Pence to cast a tie-breaking vote if necessary. Collins was soon joined by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who said he would vote for Kavanaugh, giving him the support of 51 senators.
Murkowski said Friday night that she agreed with many of Collins's comments defending Kavanaugh, saying she didn't think he would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade or represented a threat to protections for people with preexisting conditions.
But she indicated that her confidence in his nomination was not high enough to bring herself to voting for him, given controversy swirling around allegations of sexual assault leveled against the nominee.
The Alaska senator acknowledged that it appeared that Kavanaugh would be seated on the Supreme Court "without my vote."
Murkowski pointed to Kavanaugh's combative testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, saying "that appearance of impropriety has become unavoidable."
She called the bitter nomination process for Kavanaugh "horrible" and "gut-wrenching," saying it had left "good people ... needlessly hurt."
I hope so too - would be great to see Palin unseat her....<p.I’m proud to be an ex-New Yorker...left for the AF in 74 and settled in MS in 86 (Rochester area)
lright, we’re both together on Mitch’s job being to ensure that there is a quorum for the vote.
“rather than have all 51 asses in their seats?”
Ah, but would Murk BE in her seat?
(Say all the Dems walk out, leaving Booker and Harris in the hallway to be pictured dragged into the chamber by the white Seargents-at-arms, would Murk’s baby-killer donors allow her to stay?)
By getting her to pair her vote Mitch gets both her and Daines counted towards the quorum. All Murk gets out of this is some cover, she didn’t sound happy about it. But it’s better than nothing.
Mitch couldn’t make this deal if Daines wasn’t absent. So I assume Daines is not being a fool, but following orders.
In my best sports radio broadcasting voice:
Rats lose again! Rats lose again! Rats lose again!
“I just read your other responses...”
A sign of a gentleman/lady and a scholar! Thanks for making FR the best it can be.
For every vote of ‘present’ instead of ‘no’, there are fewer ‘yeas’ needed.
100 Senators. One votes present, you now only need 50 votes to win, not 51 (50-49, I’m ignoring that ties are still wins). Three vote present, a score of 49-48 will get you the win.
A Present vote doesn’t really help, but it doesn’t hurt either.
It all worked out! Yay!
Hopefully Alaskan natives will un-elect her.
Not helping is the key. A present vote is closer to a no vote than a yes vote.
Alaska, you tried to rid yourself of this witch before, then she did an end-run and got the Democrats to help put her back into office.
Please do NOT make the same mistake! Put some water or a house on this witch, and end this Democrat-lite politician!!
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