Can Kavanaugh Hang On?

Playbook: “In normal times, Brett Kavanaugh would be under tremendous pressure to abandon his bid for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. His accuser — Christine Blasey Ford — has spoken on the record, detailing allegations of sexual assault when they were in high school.”

“But, quite obviously, these are not normal times. And, as of now — that is, early Monday morning — Kavanaugh is still a nominee for the highest court in the land. Republicans say they are still weighing their options, and will figure out if there is a path forward today. (Yes, we are acutely aware that this entire situation can change at the drop of a hat.)”

“If you’re McConnell,  the squeaky-clean, fairly easy Supreme Court nominee just made life a lot more complicated. McConnell’s political legacy will be his dogged pursuit of getting more conservative justices. But McConnell knows his members as well as any political leader. If he gets the sense that this is too tough a vote for his members to take, he’s not going to go through with it. And he also certainly is not going to put up a SCOTUS vote that isn’t going to pass.”