I think Susan Collins has a very good idea.
No, she doesn’t. Senators want the questioning without potential risk of the questions falling on the senators themselves. If they have to ask the questions, they are accountable for the questions. They want the hearing, let them ask the questions!
The problem with it is that, as Scott Adams points out, “the truth doesn’t matter.” It can’t, because no amount of inquiry and investigation will lead to certainty - and therefore, the truth will not be known. And therefore, the decision will not be made on the basis of the truth.If the decision will not, and cannot, be based on truth, the only rational thing to do is to trust due process. That is, do not pretend to investigate the unknowable, just go by the fact that it is absolutely unfair to expect Judge Kavenaugh to “prove a negative.” Ignore the allegation, and just vote as if it had never been broached.
Just hold the vote.
And, in future, the chairman of the committee should make the standard wedding ceremony disclaimer at the very start of the proceedings: “If anyone has any reason why this ceremony must not be performed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace.” Then when - not if, since it succeeded (so far) this time, and succeeded (for a time) back in Clarence Thomas’ hearing - a Democrat waves a paper and says, “this letter is from someone who didn’t want to come forward,” the chairman should either absolutely ignore it or, better, treat it as an affirmative vote in favor of recommending the nominee to the Senate.