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."
One Republican will be absent so I forgive her.
So now we can do the same when her term is up and she is running again, we will vote present while we are voting for the other candidate
...such as Kavanaug - Murlowski - and a brand new Keyword which I'm sure we'll all be needing... slimypieceofcrud
If anyone here has not tried adding relevant Keywords before, give it a try and then click on them to see articles from the FR archive going back to September 2001.
“WHAT ABOUT DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY?
This is an historic vote and unless he is dying, needs to be there for it!”
Appreciate your comments—need to be posted again.
This vote is too important for our country to play around with like this. It's a wedding that can be delayed, or he can miss it, and do his damn job. This is an issue just as important to defending our country as our military, but the sacrifices sure aren't equal. That is what's disgusting about it. Delaying, or missing, your daughters wedding in a situation like isn't going to leave emotional or physical scars like war can, and he will be back home in a day unlike deployed troops. Daines needs to think about how easy he has it, and stop acting like an out of touch elitist with no sense of duty to his country.
It is more important to contribute to John Jones Senatorial campaign in Michigan. Very impressive guy, solid patriot.
“But I want every Senator there present to vote for Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. That is their duty to their country in the office they hold. Vote first for confirmation. Then fly home for a wedding.”
God is in control of this. I know recent events feel like the fog of war, but we are on the winning side here. And God cares about both the Supreme Court and this young woman’s wedding.
If his vote is required to confirm, Heaven and Earth will be moved to make it happen.
Don’t lose any sleep over this. Accommodating this wedding is the right thing to do. And it will not prevent Kavanaugh from being confirmed.
Confirmation requires a majority of those present and voting. 49-48 means the motion carries.
It depends. Confirmation requires a majority of senators PRESENT to vote for Kavanaugh. 49-49 and one present equals a a tie that the VP breaks. 50-49 and one present is a loss.
I disagree with you there. Accommodating this wedding is not the right thing to do. Voting first for Judge Kavanaugh is the right thing to do. Then fly home to the wedding.
After all the torment and grief Judge Kavanaugh has endured (along with his family) in order to serve his country as a Supreme Court Judge, I can’t believe this senator has the nerve to leave town and not vote.
He should vote first, then fly home for the wedding. This is of national importance to the entire country. The wedding can wait a few hours.
That "paired voting thing is an outright LIE" for the ill/uneducated.
Obama was the KING of voting "PRESENT", which was NOT "paired"!
The posters, here, used to know this stuff.
Today? Fewer and fewer posters appear to known much of antyhing.
That would be an extremely stupid ad.
I don’t trust this. I want Daines there to vote.
Millions of service members have routinely placed duty before family. Why should a senator do less on the very rare occasion that he is needed to do so?
You shouldn’t; it COWARDLY GARBAGE !
God bless Maine. It has always had that divided streak since George Mitchell and Bill Cohen were your senators.
Many thanks; much appreciated !
SPOT ON...A STANDING OVATION FOR YOU!
Some sure don’t.
Have a good night.
“I disagree with you there. Accommodating this wedding is not the right thing to do. Voting first for Judge Kavanaugh is the right thing to do. Then fly home to the wedding.”
You have the right to your opinion. None of them asked either of us our opinions with regard to this wedding.
I think it is foolish that some people on this forum want to turn this issue into a heated debate. If his vote is required to confirm then whatever it takes will be done to make it happen.
Pray. Get some rest. God willing, tomorrow will be a day of celebration. It will be a day to remember like the day President Trump was elected. Don’t let this issue take anything away from it.
There is no reason to excoriate this man, none.
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