Responses To FBI Report Are Unsurprising
[guest post by Dana]
Hoo boy. What a morning.
After reviewing the eagerly anticipated FBI report, Sen. Grassley said that it “included “no hint of misconduct”. Not surprisingly, the Democrats declared it incomplete, and clearly it was limited in scope and time to benefit Kavanaugh:
“There’s nothing in it that we didn’t already know,” Grassley said in a statement after being briefed on the FBI report by his staff. “It’s time to vote.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the top Democrat on the committee, later told reporters that “the most notable part of this report is what’s not in it.”
“We had many fears that this was a very limited process that would constrain the FBI from getting all of the facts,” he said. “Those fears have been realized.”
Schumer said he disagreed with Grassley’s assessment that there is “no hint of misconduct” but declined to elaborate or take questions.
Not noted in the Washington Post’s report, is that the GOP did not provide a list of names for the FBI to reach out to, but rather the FBI made their own decision about with whom to speak:
Republicans on the committee said that they did not compile a definitive list of those the FBI should question and interview as part of their supplemental inquiry into allegations against Kavanaugh.
“We did not come up with a list of people that the FBI should interview. The FBI was requested to conduct an investigation into any and all credible accusations of Kavanaugh. The FBI made the decision from there as to who to interview,” Sen. Mike Lee explained.
Sen. Cornyn added that the FBI had “all the permission they need to interview who they think is necessary.”
Further, here is the reaction to the report by the five senators whose votes are in question:
Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), one of three Republicans who had not indicated how they plan to vote, said Thursday that “it appears to be a very thorough investigation, but I’m going back later to personally read the interviews.”
Shortly afterward, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who requested the investigation, told reporters that “we’ve seen no additional corroborating information.”
Collins, Flake and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) are the critical votes that could ensure Kavanaugh’s ascension to the nation’s highest court.
On Thursday afternoon, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), a red-state Democrat whose vote Republicans were courting, said she would vote no on Kavanaugh. That leaves Sen. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) as the only Democrat still undecided on the nomination.
Note: Jeff Flake still has concerns”
Also, in North Dakota, which Heitkamp represents, the polls are not doing her any favors:
Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer has a double digit lead over Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in the North Dakota poll, with 53 percent of likely voters picking the Republican and 41 percent supporting the Democrat. Last month, Cramer led Heitkamp by 4 points in a survey of the race.
Given that, there is really no reason for her not to vote with the Democrats, because “Heitkamp knows what everybody else does: She’s soon to be a former Senator so she might as well impress a future Democratic employer.”
As of this writing, still unknown to us how they will vote are Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).
And finally, it seems that the most troubling aspect of this whole disgraceful debacle, the disturbing “Devil’s Triangle,” which became an utterly embarrassing talking point of attack by the left and various media outlets showing no partiality (wink! wink!), turnd out to be just what Kavanaugh said it was: a drinking game. No more, no less.
And because coincidences are always fun, it’s being reported that “Ford’s “beach friend” who helped her fabricate her anti-Kavanaugh smears, and whom Ford coached on polygraphs, just happened to be a FBI PR rep in the office of Preet Bharara, who used to work for Schumer on Judiciary.”
I just can’t even.
(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)
–Dana
