Late Thurday, after a long and often emotional day of testimony at the Senate Confirmation Hearing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) announced he will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
“I plan to vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh,” Corker wrote simply.
In his statement – released as an attachment to his tweet – the swing Senator elaborated:
I believe those who come forward with allegation of sexual assault deserve to be heard.
That is why I was one of the first members of the Senate to call on the judiciary committee to delay the original vote on the nomination so that both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh could provide additional information.
I know if took courage for Dr. Ford to appear before the committee today.
I also very strongly believe Judge Kavanaugh, like all Americans, deserves the presumption of innocence and that it was equally as important for him to have the opportunity to address the charges and defend himself.
While both individuals provided compelling, nothing that has been presented corroborates the allegation.
There is no question that Judge Kavanaugh is qualified to serve on the Supreme Court, and is a different political environment, he would be confirmed overwhelmingly.
I believe Judge Kavanaugh has conducted himself as we as anyone could be expected throughout this process and plan to vote to confirm him.
I plan to vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/LDj4epYyhc
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) September 28, 2018
In a statement released late Thursday, Tennessee’s other senator, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), said that he, too, will be voting to confirm Judge Kavanaugh:
I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh because of his 26 years of distinguished public service and his reputation as a superior jurist, lawyer and teacher.
Judge Kavanaugh denies under oath Dr. Ford’s account of an alleged incident 36 years ago. The FBI has conducted six background investigations of Judge Kavanaugh since that alleged incident and found no such conduct. Every person Dr. Ford alleges was present at the incident says under penalty of a felony it didn’t happen.
Senate Democrats have treated Judge Kavanaugh as innocent until nominated. They have victimized Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford and their families. They have diminished the United States Senate by their embarrassing irresponsibility.
Good for Corker. And Flake. Hope Murkowski and Collins vote yes as well.
Look, I don’t know if Kavanaugh will be another Roberts (my suspicion) or another Gorsuch (my hope). I pray he’s not another Kennedy, who he clerked for.
But I am very confident, as are the Democrats, that he will not see being on the Supreme Court as the opportunity to be an unelected, unaccountable super legislator able to use his perch to legislate using judeo values. That is why none of the Dems on the committee supported him even prior to wylie Feinstein using Ford as a last minute weapon.
Every conservative should make the election of Marsha to replace Corker the highest priority. Does anybody really believe Bredesen would be the lone Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh if he was Tennessee’s junior senator and his vote was really needed for Kavanaugh’s defeat? Do we really want to spend the next six years when crucial votes are to be cast wondering whether Bedesen is going to do the right thing only to find over 80% of the time, like other “moderate” Democrats, he is going to do the wrong thing?
Gutless phony Phil has yet to say how he would vote. VOTE REPUBLICAN!