Democrats Aim to Derail Kavanaugh With Eye on Abortion, Mueller

[babylonsister]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-03/democrats-aim-to-derail-kavanaugh-with-eye-on-abortion-mueller

Democrats Aim to Derail Kavanaugh With Eye on Abortion, Mueller
By Greg Stohr and Laura Litvan
September 3, 2018, 4:00 AM EDT


Democrats will have plenty of material to draw upon when they question U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at his Senate confirmation hearings. What they won’t have is leverage.

Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s pick to succeed the now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, is a good bet to shift the court to the right, perhaps sharply so. As a U.S. appeals court judge in Washington since 2006, Kavanaugh struck down federal regulations, backed gun freedoms and questioned abortion rights.

But with the hearings starting Tuesday, Democrats haven’t been able to undercut Kavanaugh’s status as a heavy favorite to win confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate. Both sides have pored through tens of thousands of pages of judicial opinions, speeches and documents, though Democrats say that includes just a small fraction of the material from Kavanaugh’s five years as a top White House official.

“He is extreme even by the right-wing, far-right ideological standards of this administration," Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told reporters. "There will be sparks at this hearing."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said in an interview he is "feeling good" about confirmation prospects. Republicans, who will reclaim their 51-49 Senate majority after Arizona’s governor names a replacement for the late Senator John McCain, are aiming to get Kavanaugh seated by the time the court formally opens its term on Oct. 1. Having ended the use of filibusters for high court nominees in 2017, they could confirm Kavanaugh without any Democratic votes.

The hearings start with opening statements Tuesday, followed by questioning of the nominee Wednesday and Thursday. The leading outside group supporting Kavanaugh, the Judicial Crisis Network, has already spent more than $4 million on television ads urging his confirmation.

more...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-03/democrats-aim-to-derail-kavanaugh-with-eye-on-abortion-mueller

[Iliyah]

1. McTurtle will force the discussions to cease

and immediately go forth with the vote unless he doesn't have them yet. Then he will have secret meetings with Pence and shithole in toll wherein they will probably bring out blackmail material that the Russians have on every single member of at the least the Republican members.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Yep, that is how he will handle it.

Everyone I know can't decide who they hate more, McConnell or the fucking moron.

[Midnight Writer]

3. Interesting strategy for Democrats. Get Kavanaugh to say something Trump doesn't like.

Trump will be following the proceedings closely. If Kavanaugh says that he is against some Trump doctrine, Trump may weigh in and torpedo the thing himself.

He very nearly lashed out at Gorsuch when he didn't like some of his confirmation hearing answers. Supposedly, McGahn stifled him. But McGahn may not have the President's ear at this point.

If Trump "pulls a Trump" and blasts Kavanaugh in a twitter storm, that will give cover for some Senators to stand up

Interestingly, I heard this strategy outlined on Fox News.