Anathema-

You think Jeff Flake, with all his talk, isn't trying to parlay to another elective office? Look at how people like Corker folded; that's how you act when you're getting out of politics. Jeff is still trying to please moderates. There's a reason.

Reminder: McConnell can call a floor vote even if the committee voted him down.

I'm not quite as cynical as to say that Flake refusing to vote kavanaugh to the floor is the same as voting to confirm. By doing what he's done he's covered his flank (by voting aye out of committee) but orchestrated a situation by which if he doesn't stick to his word he'll be in for a thousand times the treatment that caused him to back off today. He invited political pressure if he caved. Not a guarantee by any means but that's why I'm not as cynical. Not AS cynical. Still deeply skeptical it will amount to anything in the end. Still; the way the hearings have gone it seems the most likely thing is that kavanaugh's story isn't going to hold up to even the thinnest investigation and his poll numbers have tanked in the past couple days after already being underwater. Waiting a week for an investigation could spur him to withdraw before the investigation is finished.

When some of our conservative members didn't want Scalia replaced with Garland they cried about the balance of the court. I assume that this is the balance they wished to maintain because the outcome was inevitable and the balance was an obvious sham to begin with.

if it's not that guy then report the guy you just found ohwait jack is a nazi I forgot

jarrod ramos; another fabled white hispanic

I'm going to be bitter toward people happy to preserve SCOTUS "balance" in this thread, too.

Special shout-out to everyone happy to preserve SCOTUS "balance"