“Suggesting that Flake playing a McCain could give cover to vulnerable Senate Dems to ALL vote against a Trump SCOTUS nominee.”
We can expect Flake to vote with the Democrats and McCain to not vote.
And for this vote, that will make Joe Manchin the most powerful man in the Senate.
.………..I don’t think that Flake’s actual vote on the nomination, if he ever got one, is what this is about.
I think this is about the little clubby, fraternity rule in the Senate that any Senator can hold up a judicial nomination as a matter of “privilege”.
McConnell has threatened to ignore that rule several times but he’s spineless and I don’t see it happening. So, as things stand at this moment, Flake can and likely will hold up the nomination.
Do much pressure will be put on him not to.