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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 2018)
Page 10A East Oregonian SUPREME COURT Saturday, October 6, 2018 Confirmation all but sure after bitter fight Senate set to vote on Kavanaugh after delay for FBI investigation fought against the back- drop of the #MeToo move- ment and Trump’s unyield- ing support of the nominee, WASHINGTON — After opposing forces that left weeks of shocking accusa- Kavanaugh’s fate in doubt tions, hardball politics and for weeks. rowdy Capitol protests, a Manchin, the only remain- pair of wavering senators ing undeclared lawmaker, declared Friday they will used an emailed statement back Brett Kavanaugh’s to announce his support for Supreme Court confirma- Kavanaugh moments after tion, all but guaranteeing Collins finished talking, the deeply riven Senate will making him the only Dem- ocrat supporting elevate the conser- vative jurist to the the nominee. Man- chin faces a com- nation’s highest petitive re-election court on Saturday. The announce- race next month in ments by Repub- a state Trump car- ried in 2016 by 42 lican Susan Col- lins of Maine and percentage points. Democrat Joe “My heart goes Manchin of West out to anyone who Virginia ended Kavanaugh has experienced most of the sus- any type of sexual pense over a political battle assault in their life,” Man- that has transfixed the nation chin said. But he added that — though die-hard Dem- based on the FBI report, “I ocrats insisted on arguing have found Judge Kavana- through the night to a mostly ugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Consti- empty Senate chamber. Some of them continued tution and determine cases raising concerns that Kavana- based on the legal findings ugh would push the court fur- before him.” ther to the right, including with Protesters chanted possible sympathetic rulings “Shame” at Manchin later for President Donald Trump, when he talked to reporters the man who nominated him. outside his office. But the case against Kava- Republicans control the naugh had long since been Senate by a meager 51-49 taken over by allegations that margin. Support from Col- he sexually abused women lins and Manchin would decades ago — accusations he give Kavanaugh at least 51 votes. emphatically denied. In the pivotal moment Three female GOP sena- Friday, Collins, perhaps the tors — Jodi Ernst of Iowa, chamber’s most moderate Shelley Moore Capito of Republican, proclaimed her West Virginia and Cindy support for Kavanaugh at the Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, end of a Senate floor speech sat directly behind Collins as that lasted nearly 45 min- she spoke. Majority Leader utes. While she was among a Mitch McConnell of Ken- handful of Republicans who tucky sat directly in front of helped sink Trump’s quest to Collins and pivoted his seat obliterate President Barack around to face her. A few Obama’s health care law last Democrats sat stone-faced year, this time she proved nearby. When she finished, Col- instrumental in delivering a lins received applause from triumph to Trump. Collins told fellow sen- the roughly two dozen GOP ators that Christine Blasey senators present. Ford’s dramatic testimony Republican Lisa Mur- last week describing Kava- kowski of Alaska, a fellow naugh’s alleged 1982 assault moderate and friend of Col- was “sincere, painful and lins, became the only Repub- compelling.” But she said lican to say she opposed the FBI had found no cor- Kavanaugh. She said on the roborating evidence from Senate floor Friday evening witnesses whose names that Kavanaugh is “a good Ford had provided. man” but his “appearance “We will be ill-served in of impropriety has become the long run if we abandon unavoidable.” the presumption of inno- She added that with cence and fairness, tempting Supreme Court appoint- though it may be,” she said. ments lasting a lifetime, “We must always remember “Those who seek these seats that it is when passions are must meet the highest stan- most inflamed that fairness dards in all respects, at all times. And that is hard.” is most in jeopardy.” Those passions were on In a twist, Murkowski full display this week in a said she will state her oppo- fight that could energize sition but vote “present” as a both parties’ voters in elec- courtesy to Kavanaugh sup- tions for control of Congress porter Sen. Steve Daines, just five weeks away. The R-Mont., who is attending showdown drew raucous his daughter’s wedding in demonstrators — largely Montana. Murkowski said she’d anti-Kavanaugh — to the Capitol, where they raised use an obscure procedure tensions by repeatedly con- that lets one senator off- fronting lawmakers despite set the absence of another an intensified police pres- without affecting the out- ence. Another 101 protest- come, while letting the miss- ers were arrested Friday, the ing lawmaker’s preference appear in the record. U.S. Capitol Police said. It’s all expected to con- Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., clude Saturday afternoon who has repeatedly battled with a final roll call almost Trump and will retire in Jan- solidly along party lines. uary, said he’d vote for Kava- That would mark an anti-cli- naugh’s confirmation “unless mactic finale to a clash something big changes.” By ALAN FRAM and LISA MASCARO Associated Press AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Friday just after a deeply divided Senate pushed Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination past a key procedural hurdle, setting up a likely final showdown vote for Saturday. Bucking party, Murkowski charts her own path WASHINGTON (AP) — Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the lone Repub- lican who voted against advancing Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination, has carved out a path as a fiercely independent senator known for bucking her party. But she didn’t look especially happy about it Friday. Murkowski suggested she will oppose President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee this week- end after she became the only GOP senator to oppose advancing Kava- naugh’s nomination during a tense, high-stakes Senate floor vote. “I believe that Brett Kavanaugh is a good man. It just may be that in my view he’s not the right man for the court at this time,” Murkowski told reporters. She said she respected her colleagues’ support for Kavanaugh, but added, “I also that think we’re at a place where we need to think about the credibility and integrity of our institutions.” The Alaskan senator’s vote was the latest example of the indepen- dent streak she forged since overcom- ing a Republican primary challenge in 2010 to win re-election as a rare write-in candidate. She was re-elected in 2016. Murkowski has expressed unease with the sexual assault allegations lodged against Kavanaugh, which he denies. She has faced pressure from home-state Alaskans, includ- ing Native Alaskan women, who have described the scourge of sexual assault. After remaining undecided on whether Kavanaugh’s nomination should move forward, Murkowski rendered her decision Friday in dra- matic fashion. As the clerk read the names in alphabetical order, all eyes were on Murkowski. Senators stood Vice President Mike Pence planned to be available Satur- day in case his tie-breaking vote was needed, which now seems unlikely. In a procedural vote that handed Republicans an ini- tial victory, senators voted 51-49 Friday to limit debate and keep the nomination alive, defeating Democratic efforts to scuttle it with end- less delays. The debate sparked smol- dering resentment by parti- sans on both sides, on and off the Senate floor. “What left wing groups and their Democratic allies have done to Judge Kavana- ugh is nothing short of mon- strous,” Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa declared before the vote. He accused Democrats of emboldening protesters: “They have encouraged mob rule.” On the other side, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York called the fight “a sorry epilogue to the brazen theft of Justice Scalia’s seat.” That reflected Democrats’ lasting umbrage over Republicans’ 2016 refusal to even consider Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee to replace the late Antonin Scalia. FIRST ANNUAL Community Meeting With sfecial guest sfeake-, Joe Piscatella, autho- of 16 best-selling books, host of th-ee PBS television sfecials, a “guest exfe-t” on WebMD, and a membe- of the NIH Exfe-t Panel on Ca-diac Rehabilitation. Good Shepherd Health Care System cordially invites you to our 1st Annual Community Meeting and Health Fair. Join us for an evening of fun, food, raffle prizes, and most importantly, learn about the positive impact GSHCS is having on the communities they serve. AP Photo/Seth Wenig Protesters rally in Time Square in New York onThursday. Hundreds of people rallied in front of Trump Tower, and then walked to Times Square to protest Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. up in their chairs and voted, some of them loudly. But when it came to Murkowski, she stood up, paused, and whispered “no,” her voice barely audible. Then she took her seat, looking down with a stone-faced expression. As the end of the vote neared, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who sits next to Murkowski, leaned over and put her hand on the arm of Murkow- ski’s chair. The two huddled in deep conversation. Collins and Murkowski are the only GOP senators who support abortion rights, a crucial issue in the debate over Kavanaugh’s nomination. If confirmed, Kavanaugh could tip the court’s balance toward conservatives for a generation. Collins said Kava- naugh assured her during a private meeting that Roe v. Wade, the ruling that established abortion rights, is set- tled law. Wednesday, October 24, 2018 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Hermiston Community Center 415 S. Hwy 395 Hermiston, OR 97838 RSVP 541.667.3509 Or register on Eventbrite at https://gshcsevent.eventbrite.com
