Posted on 10/05/2018 11:43:21 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expressed optimism about the chances of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
McConnell made the remarks after he and others in the GOP leadership had lunch with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a potential swing vote to put Kavanaugh on the high court.
“We’re heading toward a final vote tomorrow, and I’m optimistic,” he told NBC News.
Senate Majority Leader McConnell after lunch with Republican leaders and Sen. Collins: “We’re heading toward a final vote tomorrow, and I’m optimistic.”
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) October 5, 2018 Senators voted 51-49 to end debate on Kavanaugh’s nomination, setting up a confirmation vote for Saturday afternoon. Three potential swing votes, Sens. Collins, Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) all voted “yes.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was the lone Republican defection.
“I have been wrestling with whether or not this was about the qualifications of a good man or is this bigger than the nominee and I believe we are dealing with issues right now that are bigger than a nominee,” Murkowski told reporters after the vote.
The Senate will ultimately vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation Saturday in all likelihood.
What Republicans hoped would be a smooth confirmation hearing was thrown into tumult after three women went public with allegations of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh while he was in high school and college.
Kavanaugh offered a fiery defense against the accusations, saying at a hearing last week in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that the allegations were planned “smears” and part of Democrats’ “revenge on behalf of the Clintons.”
Flake, who was later joined by Collins, Murkowski and Donnelly, forced the White House to request an FBI inquiry into the allegations by threatening to withhold his ultimate confirmation vote.
Flake announced earlier Friday he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh.
The FBI returned the results of a week-long investigation into the allegations to the Senate on Thursday.
Many Senate Republicans claim there was no corroborating evidence for any of the claims against Kavanaugh and have vowed to confirm the nominee in a vote over the weekend.
Flake and Collins first hinted they were leaning toward supporting Kavanaugh after they praised the FBI inquiry as thorough.
The White House also expressed confidence Kavanaugh would be confirmed over the weekend.
"We sure hope so. I think we should," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said when asked by reporters if Kavanaugh has enough votes.
"Moving into the weekend, we certainly hope the Senate will vote to confirm him," she added.
Sanders said the White House has been actively whipping votes for Kavanaugh to help push him over the finish line.
"We’ve been in constant contact with a number of senators since this process began and we’re going to continue those efforts right up until the last minute because this is such an important moment in our country’s history," she said earlier in an interview with Fox News.
Collins is taking the floor and she’s being heckled.
I’m not buying it. She’s a no.
She’s a yes. Just from the start
She’s sounding like a ‘yes’ so far.
*keeping fingers crossed*
Collins...expressing her disgust with the process & the special interest groups against Kavanaugh
Sounds like a yes...
She reviewed BK’s record, doesn’t care who is President. 19 attorneys helped her interpreted his record, met with BK for two hours, listened to testimony, spoke by telephone, met with her constituents....
No way she’s going to vote no based on what she has said so far.
Then again she sounds crazy. If I had to listen to that voice for more than 5 minutes, I’d take up a fentanyl habit.
I will say that crossing Mitch after he’s gone out on a limb like this seems like a very high-risk proposition.
It DOES sound like she’s a ‘yes’ vote but there is no doubt in my mind she’s also a full on loonball.
Sounding more and more like a yes, but does she have to draw this out so long?
She is laying out a very inspirational case for why she will nominate Brett Kavanaugh.
She’s a yes vote.
I’m looking at Fox right now. Split screen has the hallway mob.
Is that a protester in the hallway crying? Looks like it. I hope they’ve cleared the crazy people out of the gallery. This place will explode if Collins says yes. Hope there is adequate police there.
Collins is giving a “Why I’m voting for” speech now.
Amen. Bears repeating. "Republican" does not mean conservative. Flake, Corker, Alexander, Collins, Murkowski, et al prove the point.
"R" jerseys don't mean squat anymore.
Susan Collins speaking now. She is a “yes” tomorrow for sure.
She’s no doubt loving her moment in the spotlight and will draw it out as long as possible.
The massive egos in this Senate, it makes me sick.
One of the Weak Sisters is on board. Collins is giving Murkowski cover to vote “yes” tomorrow.
Susan is enjoying her now 33 minutes of fame and it appears she will continue on.
Sounds like she’s voting for Kav but Maine freepers can we PLEASE replace this senator from Planned Parenthood with Governor Paul LePage anyway?
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