Like several other Senate Democrats, Indiana Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly is feeling the heat from the Kavanaugh confirmation vote. Donnelly is in a statistical dead heat against businessman Mike Braun for his Senate seat this November. The Hoosier State is reddest in Fort Wayne, and the News-Sentinel yesterday called on Donnelly to vote to confirm Kavanaugh. The more progressive Indianapolis Star […]
Joe Manchin, Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is in a tough election race this fall. Real Clear Politics polling has him with an uncomfortable lead against his Republican opponent, and Manchin is running hard. President Trump won the Mountaineer State in 2016 with a whopping 68.5%, the largest margin of victory for any presidential candidate in the state’s […]
Lisa Murkowski: Reluctant Maverick
This week, the Kavanaugh Column is taking a closer look at the undecided senators in the middle of the Kavanaugh confirmation fight, two pro-abortion Republicans and three Democrats who are from strongly pro-life states. Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski steps into the spotlight today. “Have Senate Democrats already lost on Kavanaugh?”, asked Vanity Fair yesterday. The magazine cites […]
A Hard Rain Falls on Senator Collins
With the conclusion of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, relative calm has again settled over the Tidal Basin here in Washington. No damaging testimony emerged from the hearing (unless you count self-inflicted damage by senators opposed to Kavanaugh), and committee Democrats scored no “gotcha” moments. The countdown begins to the […]
Not with a Bang, But with a Whimper
Friday wrapped up the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. After over thirty hours on the “hot seat,” far longer than any other Supreme Court nominee in recent memory, Judge Kavanaugh may be breathing a sigh of gratitude that he can return to a somewhat “normal” life while he awaits the formal […]
A Song of Freedom
The third day of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing featured a second (“lightning”) round of questions for the nominee by committee members. Two strains in this now long-running political opera became clear Thursday: Judge Kavanaugh’s high and clear aria of constitutional liberty, expressed in his devotion to Federalism, separation of powers and a […]
Judge Kavanaugh Keeps Calm, Carries On
The second day of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing thankfully lacked the drama provided by yesterday’s orchestrated and extremely rude Democratic opposition. That didn’t keep the Democrats for grousing occasionally about “missing documents,” or periodic demonstrators from punctuating the professional atmosphere of the proceeding with shouts of “We’re not going back!” But over […]
“Sound and Fury:” Confirmation Hearing, Day One
The first day of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing came in like a lion, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley enduring an “unprecedented” series of demonstrations and disruptions from screaming pro-abortion protestors in the audience, and insults and interruptions from most of the Democratic Senators on the committee. Reportedly, Senate Minority Leader […]
The Calm Before the Storm
This is the calm before the storm. Ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that begins next week, Judge Kavanaugh has met with every Republican Senator and most of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, as well as several from pro-Trump Red States. Although pro-abortion senators have continued to elevate (lower?) their rhetoric against him, […]
