Why Republicans Will Fight Hard for Kavanaugh

“Officials inside the White House, as well as outside advisers, told the the Daily Beast that mood has become less bullish. Senior aides fear delivering Trump a major failure and humiliation that he can—and likely will—pin on those around him and squeamish Republican lawmakers. There is palpable fear that the party’s base will turn on Republicans should the Kavanaugh nomination fail.”

“Top donors, meanwhile, have said that they will continue writing checks out of a growing fear that the party could lose the Senate in addition to the House this coming fall. But one major contributor warned that lawmakers had to show them that they had put up a sufficient fight to get Kavanaugh on to the Court or else the checks wouldn’t come.”

Playbook: “Most senior Republicans think there is no win in this testimony for them. Period. They’re going to cringe while they watch it, and can’t wait until it’s over.”