The Kavanaugh Votes Begin

Roll Call: “Well, that was a day. The lengthy hearing featuring testimony and questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused him of sexual assault, has resulted in Republicans’ decision to go ahead with a confirmation vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday. “

“One important thing to note: Even if Kavanaugh does not secure majority support in the committee vote, his nomination can still make it to the floor. So even if the judge does not secure that 11th vote (the partisan breakdown is 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats), the majority leader can still get the nomination on the executive calendar. The committee could report it to the floor unfavorably, for instance, and still get it from that Dirksen Building hearing room to the Capitol.”

“Bottom line? Regardless of what happens in committee, we could still be in for a series of tough votes, starting Saturday, on the nomination.”