LIVE: Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

This tells me Democrats don't think they can flip Collins or Murkowski, I doubt that beginning the hearings like this makes it more likely that Republicans on the fence will vote no on judge's Brett Kavanaugh nomination.

God, this is going to have a depressing end.

Collins and Murkowski will put party over principle. They came out of the hearings with wildly different conclusions than everyone else because they heard what they wanted to hear and not what Kavanaugh actually said. They're too concerned with getting a win for their party to see what it will actually mean.

At the very least this puts to rest the lie of judicial independence. The Supreme Court is an inherently political entity and Republicans are blatantly using political gamesmanship to twist it in their favor and shove their agenda down everyone else's throats. That's fine, when Democrats get the chance we're going to shove our agenda down your throats twice as hard. I hope you choke on it.

The only vote that is going to matter with the Russian National Committee (RNC) is Putin's

think of all that is going on literally as literally we are at war, but with Russia.

literally that is what is going on.

There is that, but there is also a war of ideology going on in America and democrats seem to think that they will win simply because they are the "good guys" of the story. Meanwhile Republicans are like, "**** guest rights, kill them at dinner."

The thing is its hard to tell how much of that 'static' is real and how much of it is Russia but no denying its real here.

Those Great Oligarch Party members in the senate will not switch vote, its a sad day and American Democracy might be a thing of the past in my lifetime.

I don't know if I'd go that far, but the specter of a tainted election certainly looms large over this. To my mind, the bigger issue is that Republicans have been concocting a long-game scam to attain political control of the Supreme Court, and every time they get tripped up by our pesky democratic system they find some way to weasel around it. That's pretty much what happened with Garland, is that the one area they fell short of in their electoral strategy was to, as Mitch McConnell openly stated he wanted to do, "make Barrack Obama a one-term president." If that had happened then a Republican appointee would have been approved by a Republican Congress and everything would be hunky-dory, but those pesky voters sent President Obama back to the White house and slippery Mitch had to use some unprecedented maneuvering to avoid his plan to pack the court going down in flames. That may be one reason Republicans are so defiantly opposed to any inquiry into Russia, because if any solid evidence did come out against Trump before Kavanaugh was officially nominated it would throw their whole Supreme Court strategy into jeopardy. Certainly, a president elected under dubious circumstances would have his ability to nominate a Supreme Court justice called into question. They're already trying to fast-track the nomination out of fear they'll lose the Senate, despite saying that it was necessary for elections to happen before a nomination with Merrick Garland, I don't see why they wouldn't also fast track it to get it done just in case Mueller does uncover something damning about Trump.

That being said, I don't think Putin cares one way or the other about the Supreme Court. His interference in our election was about one thing, throwing a monkey wrench into the electoral system of a country that has stood in the way of his agenda. Between our support for NATO, which has opposed many of his illegal military actions and regularly conducts exercises near his borders as a show of force, our opposition to his meddling in conflicts like the Syrian civil war, and our sanctions and diplomatic spats with him over various smaller issues, getting a pliable commander in chief installed was more about advancing his own agenda, mostly by getting us to stay out of his affairs, than controlling the U.S. political system. What he did was sow organized chaos so that we'd be too busy putting out fires to focus on what he's doing. And, hey, if he can get a spineless shill like Trump installed so that all it takes is one backroom talking session to change his mind on an issue Putin cares about, all the better.

I think when the Muller report comes out many people are going to be shocked at how deep the Russian compromise goes.

That is my prediction

@tryit: I think that you are misplacing your faith in a group of people who have shown themselves more than willing to shut their eyes and cover their ears in the face incredibly troubling evidence in both regards to revelations on Russia and towards scientific research.

I think I understand what you are saying and yes, I might be overplaying Russians influence on peoples thought.

No, I'm saying that the American people are going to disappoint you should undenniable damning evidence come out about Russia

ah yes......

I agree with what I am saying as well as what you are saying. so to rephrase

I think what will be found out by the Muller case is that Russia is in very deep and very wide with the GOP and in addition to that loyalists will not care.

In fact, I am surprised that the GOP spin of 'Is russia really that bad in the first place? dont we want partership with others' hasnt started already

And your predictions are as the many others worth about as much as the paper you use at the toilet.

But what a absolute farce with those insane butch females in tha back yelling, they should perhaps try to work within the democracy instead of trying to behave like a kid and think yelling helps.

ok I dont know what you are talking about butch females but regarding my predictions I have a pretty good tract record. Not the best but pretty good.

lets see if I get it right about Kavanaugh .do you recall that prediction?

reminder, he will not get confirmed is my prediction.

And what would prevent him from being confirmed?

Mccain´s seat is back and Kavanaugh's sherpa is taking over.

So the only 2 who might change or not vote the 2 females are now unimportant since they have the 50

But yelling, screaming, and bitching helped republicans take back power when they lost it in 08. I'm not sure why you think openly voicing complaints doesn't help get your complaints answered, or isn't part of the system for that matter.

not following you, those two women will not vote and that is a lock. I dont think the math matters if McCains vote is missing because he is red and was counted as a Yes vote.

That seat (McCains) is counted as a Yes vote regardless of who is sitting in it.

Do you know how our government works? if there is a tie Pence has the deciding vote, and which way do you think he will go?

And it´s not been confirmed that those two Republican women will refuse to vote or vote nay.

its ironic how The Right won 100% in 2016 on literally one concept which was 'at least its not Hillary' and yet Democrats are actually taking this bullshit about them having to have a platform other than 'not trump'

I meant to say 'will vote no' sorry.

well you have a point on the tie, I still think its not going to happen. so lets see. I think it will get delayed

turns out McCains replacement will be present for the vote

of course if he does win it makes it considerably easier for a President to become a dictator which is exciting!

So here's a thought I just had, if Pence only gets to break a tie vote, and the Republicans need 51 votes to get the nomination, and the vote is 49-50, does Pence still get to vote? He wouldn't be breaking a tie.

hearing questions haven't even started yet and its turned in the largest shit show I have ever seen in a U.S. hearing. These GOP members are a disgusting representation of justice.

So was it working within democracy when Republicans invented a new rule out of nowhere that Supreme Court nominations couldn't take place during an election year, or when they used the filibuster against President Obama's nominee then eliminated the filibuster for Trump's? Thanks for showing us all your inner misogynist, though. I'll remember that next time you try commenting on a women's issue.

absolutely....they are disgusting.

'not during a midterm'? no only if a democrat is in office

'dump all the documents literally the night before?' its fine if its a Russian nomination

'questions about timing given an on going clearly very legitimate investigation? nope

'simply recognizing other senate members? oh hell no

any resemblance of democracy is going to disappear from this country within my lifetime I predict.

Yes, if you or others do not like how the people we and you elected, then vote them out when they are up for re-election

That is the way a democracy works, it does not work by a few screaming butchies who probably never have seen the inside of a voting booth, interrupting a democratic process.

They never got over Roe v Wade, and they see a Supreme Court that functions according to the Constitution as an impediment to their political goals (completely destroying unions, making regulation virtually powerless, allowing unlimited cashflows into the political process). They are on an absolute crusade to restore the Lochner era and roll back federal guidance on social issues, and they will not be denied just because the Constitution says Presidents have the power to fill Supreme Court vacancies or because an election would interfere with a transparent vetting process.

That's fine, though. Like I said, they're not going to like it when the other shoe drops and the true ramifications of their actions start taking shape.

You really are a misogynist, and you continue to ignore the fact that voicing one's opinion is in fact part of the democratic process.

they also want to make sure that no GOP President can be questioned over an ongoing investigation or even have impeachment hearings.

I have zero doubt in my mind that they wouldnt have any problem doing that over a democrat like Bill Clinton.

I cant stand being around those people for longer then I have to

"Screaming butchies," wow. Stay classy, dude, stay real f'n classy.

And no, Democracy does not work by people inventing rules out of thin air which conveniently do not apply to their opponents. That is the literal opposite of democracy. I would think you would know this, being the super-awesome genius lawyer that you are.

No, since Democrats have the majority

Pence can only break a tie.

But that won´t happen. Kavanaugh is as good as secured the nomination.

The thing is I have no idea where that shitty comment even came from. No one was talking about specific types of people or voters or anything that would provoke an attack on any sort of stereotype of a person in America. But "screaming butchies" just came out of nowhere, and multiple times at that for no apparent reason other than Jac hating certain types of women today. And labeling activists as non-voting? What activists don't make a habit of voting?

lol..

yeah that was evidence by the clean opening for the questioning.

lol no its not in the bag

Republicans never filibustered an Obama Supreme Court nominee.

lol, come on did you see them.

But yea it was not "classy" but neither was the things they shouted while Kavanoughs kids were in the room.

And yes democracy works by the people you vote for to run the country actually run the country. The way you can repay them if you think the crossed a line is by voting them out, not standing up during a democratic process and yell obscenities.

That is the core of democracy.

We are close to the primaries so go out and ring doorbells, campaign and help the Democratic candidate in your district that is how you do it.

You know why Clinton lost or why Sanders didn´t win the nomination. And i don´t have a problem with the women who came to the hearing to listen to what was being said and then repaying them by democratic ways.

Because there is a huge discrepancy in people who are the loudest and the people who go vote.

no..its because of 20 years of relentless around the clock conservative talk show hosts bashing her for 20 years (mostly on the radio)

that is why.

fact

lol okay, protests are no longer part of the democratic process. People get mad at crap politicians and yell shit at them. I too hope they vote out the crappy republicans, but voicing your opinion is part of the process whether you agree with them or not. Fucking deal with it.

A protest is not standing up and screaming obscenities and yelling "nananananana you cant speak nanananan i am 4 years old nananana"

And voicing your opinion" during a hearing is not democracy at work,

Remember there are still laws in this country and being disruptive in the public is not excusable with "oh duuuuuuuuuuuuude but i am just protesting maaaaaannnnnnnnnn"

@Jacanuk: I find it weird that you're seemingly so desperate to get people, in this case "butch women", to just shut up. Were you angry at the congressman who yelled " you lie" at Obama? Or literally all the people who ever yelled anything at a Democrat when they were upset? And even if you were you seem to be ignoring that the human aspect of yelling at people feels good and you're never going to actually get that removed from society regardless of how it makes you feel about those people.

its not that women are not allowed to speak its that they are not allowed to speak for themselves.

this is why Hillary has always been a problem with them, from Day 1 1992

You seem to have misunderstood something fundamental here. I do not care if these women want to protest, I care that they interrupt a democratic process by yelling obscenities and acting like they are all 5.

If they want to act like kids, stay outside with the rest of the nutjobs and yell there.

@Jacanuk: Again, welcome to democracy. This sort of thing happens all the time.

Kagan and Sotomayor passed with more than 60 votes each so there wasn't a problem since it wasn't solely on party lines. However, Garland couldn't have been since he was refused a vote. That seems a bit worse than a filibuster to me.

Yup, the far left has gone mental It´s like that video that was shown ages ago, where the far left protests almost spat in the face of a person that "had the gall" to have a different opinion than them.

The left has literally gone insane.

What was the point of this? A bunch of Democrats are moving to adjourn? Well they don't have the votes, so this is a giant waste of time.

https://howlonguntiltrumpleaves.com/

Being disruptive is the point of protesting, otherwise it's just called talking.

@theone86: "Being disruptive is the point of protesting, otherwise it's just called talking."

Alternatively, they could choose to simply abstain from a national tradition, by kneeling for example, on a high profile stage. That would get their message out AND the opposing party would have no reason to complain.

lol goddamn dude! Punching hard tonight. I like it.