BFF-43 First vote on embattled US court nominee after fraught hearing

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US-COURT-POLITICS-ASSAULT,WRAP-UPDATE

First vote on embattled US court nominee after fraught hearing

WASHINGTON, Sept 28, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Brett Kavanaugh’s US Supreme Court
nomination was expected to pass a first hurdle in the Senate Friday, a day
after a dramatic hearing that saw the conservative judge fight off assault
allegations recounted in harrowing detail by his accuser.

The Senate Judiciary Committee began meeting early Friday and was expected
to narrowly vote in favor of Donald Trump’s pick after key Republican Jeff
Flake said he would back the judge, whose nomination would swing the high
court solidly to the right.

Friday’s vote — set for 1:30 pm (1730 GMT) — was taking place under an
intense spotlight, following a historic day of testimony that put the toxic
partisan feuding in Washington on full display.

Kavanaugh’s nomination will then go to the full Senate, where Republicans
hold a slim 51-49 edge.

Trump whole-heartedly reaffirmed support for Kavanaugh to join the nation’s
top bench after watching him furiously refute the testimony of Christine
Blasey Ford, 51, who delivered to a packed hearing room her stark account of
what she said was an attempted rape by Kavanaugh 36 years ago.

The country’s leading legal organization, the American Bar Association
which initially proclaimed the conservative Kavanaugh highly qualified for
the job, came out following the hearing urging a postponement until an FBI
investigation could be carried out.

The appointment “is simply too important to rush to a vote,” the ABA said
in a strongly worded letter to the committee’s top senators.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insisted Trump’s man would get
a vote straight away in the Judiciary Committee — which has 11 Republicans
and 10 Democrats — and that the full Senate would vote “in the coming days.”

Democrats on the Senate committee expressed outrage and some walked out
Friday morning after majority Republicans unanimously backed moving forward
to a vote without further investigation of the accusations against Kavanaugh.

“I strongly object. What a railroad job,” said Democratic Senator Mazie
Hirono, after the decision.

In addition to the conservative Senator Jeff Flake, an outspoken Trump
critic, attention has focused on two moderate Republican women senators,
Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

Two Republicans would need to defect, with all Democrats voting in
opposition, in order to sink the nomination on the Senate floor.

– Unequivocal denial –

Trump nominated Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who had
been a swing vote on a court now divided between four conservative and four
liberal justices.

The allegations by Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in California, have
threatened to derail Trump’s bid to tilt the court to the right.

The 53-year-old Kavanaugh came out with defensive guns blazing on
Thursday, insisting the assault never happened, accusing Democrats of
destroying his reputation and condemning his confirmation battle as a
“national disgrace.”

“I categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation by Dr Ford,”
Kavanaugh said, his voice shaking with anger as he fought back tears.

“I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not in college,
not ever.”

In addition to Blasey Ford, two other women have come forward with
allegations of assault against Kavanaugh, against the backdrop of the #MeToo
movement.

Thursday’s hearing included sharp exchanges between Republicans and
Democrats mirroring the bitter atmosphere in Washington.

And as the nine-hour marathon wrapped up, Trump weighed in to stand by his
man. “Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him,” he
tweeted, minutes after the hearing adjourned.

“His testimony was powerful, honest and riveting,” Trump said. “Democrats’
search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total
sham and effort to delay, obstruct and resist. The Senate must vote!”

– ‘I am terrified’ –

During four hours of emotionally intense testimony, Blasey Ford said she
was “100 percent” certain that Kavanaugh was the person who assaulted her at
a high school party in suburban Maryland in 1982, and that it was “absolutely
not” a case of mistaken identity.

She said a drunken Kavanaugh and a friend of his, Mark Judge, pushed her
into a bedroom, that Kavanaugh pinned her down and muffled her cries as he
tried to pull off her clothes.

She told the hearing, she feared she would be raped, or accidentally
killed.

“I am here today not because I want to be,” said the married mother-of-
two. “I am terrified.”

“I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened
to me.”

BSS/AFP/RY/1830 hrs