GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski publicly wavers as Brett Kavanaugh rape scandal worsens
As the night goes on, one Republican Senator after another has begun to inch away from Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee and alleged attempted rapist Brett Kavanaugh. Now GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who was already under mounting pressure to vote against Kavanaugh, has begun publicly wavering in the hours since Kavanaugh’s accuser publicly identified herself.
Thus far this evening we’ve seen Senate Judiciary Committee member Jeff Flake stating that he can’t see himself voting “yes” if the committee vote is held this week. Lindsey Graham, who is also on the committee, stated that the committee should reopen its hearings to allow Christine Blasey Ford to testify. Susan Collins was clearly not prepared to give a response when CNN caught up with her in an airport. Bob Corker isn’t on the committee, but he nonetheless publicly called for the committee to delay its vote and investigate the allegations. Then came Murkowski.
Lisa Murkowski isn’t on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but she told CNN tonight that the committee “might have to reconsider” holding a vote on Kavanaugh this week. These aren’t exactly strong words, from her or from any other Senate Republican. But she’s hinting, as is Corker, that she could end up voting “no” in the full Senate vote if the committee advances Kavanaugh without investigating the accusations against him.
The bottom line is this: no one in the Republican Senate wants to be seen as the one who single handedly kills this nomination, yet there are clearly at least a few of them who are worried about ending their own careers by putting an alleged attempted rapist on the Supreme Court. They’re each taking their turns nudging Brett Kavanaugh a little further to the edge of the cliff, presumably in the hope that he’ll fall off without any one of them having to take the blame. If the committee does delay its vote, the odds of Kavanaugh being confirmed will greatly drop, as the GOP’s plan all along has been based entirely on ramming him through before momentum could build against him.
