Lucy re-sets football once again

Jeff Flake is calling for a delay of up to one week in regard to the floor vote on the Kavanaugh nomination, in order for an FBI investigation to take place.  Points:

(1) This “agreement,” if that’s what to call it, isn’t even a committee motion.  It doesn’t create any procedural barrier to a vote by the full Senate.  Basically, it’s just Flake implying that he might vote “no” on the floor if an investigation doesn’t happen.

(2) Still, things are balanced on a knife edge, and it’s likely that some sort of investigation will happen.  The most crucial aspect of this is that Mark Judge will almost surely take the 5th rather than back up his inebriated wingman (Lying to the FBI is a federal crime).  It will also be interesting to see what the other people at the gathering at which Ford says she was assaulted by Kavanaugh and Judge have to say under FBI questioning.

(3) Any delay is obviously bad for Kavanaugh.  It gives time for more accusations to arise, for the several existing ones to crystallize, and for full horror of his shameful performance before the committee yesterday to sink in, after the adrenaline of partisanship has worn off just a bit.

He is still very likely to be confirmed, but the odds that he will just got a little bit worse.

. . . and Murkowski says she supports Flake’s request, which means McConnell doesn’t have the votes to ram this through.