Trump, GOP on cusp of major victory as final Kavanaugh vote nears, protesters gather on Capitol Hill

President Trump and Senate Republicans appeared to be on the cusp of a major political victory Saturday, as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh looked set to be narrowly confirmed by the Senate later in the day -- after a grueling and often ugly confirmation fight that has both gripped and divided the nation. Statements by previously undecided Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in favor of Kavanaugh on Friday appeared to give the embattled nominee the votes in the chamber needed to be confirmed, where Republicans hold a slim majority.

Final Senate Vote On Kavanaugh Nomination Expected Saturday

The Senate is expected to vote Saturday on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh and - barring a major unforeseen development - in all likelihood, he will be confirmed by the narrowest of margins. Friday, after the nomination cleared a key procedural hurdle with a 51-49 vote, two previously undecided senators, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced they would support Kavanaugh .

Senate heads to final vote on Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination

Brett Kavanaugh, the embattled U.S. Supreme Court nominee put forward by President Donald Trump, looked likely to win final Senate confirmation on Saturday, weathering sexual misconduct allegations and attacks on his character and temperament. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh arrives for his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, U.S., September 27, 2018.

Banks back Democrats in bid to rebuild bipartisan support

Banks are going to bat for Democrats in the U.S. November midterm congressional elections as part of an ambitious strategy to rebuild the bipartisan support they enjoyed before the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Senator Heidi Heitkamp walks at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., August 22, 2018.

Sun Editorial: Kavanaugh deserves an up-or-down vote

Democrats got what they wanted -- an FBI supplemental background investigation into Christine Blasey Ford's sexual allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh -- and now it's time to vote. According to Senate Judiciary Committee members who have seen the FBI report, nothing new has turned up to corroborate Ford's claims that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her 36 years ago at a house party in Maryland.

Peter Lucas: Obama could have easily endorsed Charlie Baker

What if he meant to support Trump-bashing RINO Gov. Charlie Baker and got confused and ended up backing challenger Democrat Jay Gonzalez, the milder of the two men? Not that it matters very much. The Obama endorsement got lost in the frantic and overwhelming media coverage of the Judge Brett Kavanaugh drama as well as the Boston visit Monday of the aptly named U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake.

Marc A. Thiessen: Prosecutor picks apart case against Kavanaugh

The decision by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley to have Arizona sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell question Christine Blasey Ford may well be remembered as a brilliant -- and quite possibly pivotal -- choice. No doubt, allowing Mitchell to ask questions instead of Republican senators served a defensive purpose, avoiding the spectacle of a bunch of old, white men publicly questioning a woman who says she was a victim of sexual abuse.

‘Thorough’ FBI report bolsters Kavanaugh

A pair of undeclared Republican senators accepted a confidential new FBI report into sex-abuse allegations against Brett Kavanaugh Thursday as "thorough," bolstering GOP hopes for confirmation as the Senate plunged toward showdown votes on President Donald Trump's embattled Supreme Court nominee. One of the senators hinted he was open to supporting Kavanaugh as party leaders set a pivotal preliminary vote for 10:30 a.m. Friday.

Liberals Beg For An FBI Investigation, And Then Are Unhappy With The Results

The Democrats demanded an FBI investigation into the allegations levied by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick against Brett Kavanaugh and then called it a sham when they couldn't find corroborating evidence. Arizona Senator Jeff Flake made Democrats' dream come true at the last minute.

Democratic Senator Suggests Kavanaugh Nomination Will Result in Women Being Put in Jail for Abortion

On the eve of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation vote, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy told Chris Matthews on MSNBC a year from now, "Brett Kavanaugh will be the deciding vote to criminalize abortion." While discussing Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins' decision to vote yes on Judge Kavanaugh, Murphy said, "I have a great amount of respect for Senator Collins, but I just think she is going to be sorely disappointed when a year from now Brett Kavanaugh writes the decision overturning Roe v.

Kavanaugh all but assured of surviving Supreme Court fight

Brett Kavanaugh seems assured of surviving a Supreme Court nomination fight for the ages after two wavering senators said they'd back him despite weeks of shocking accusations, hardball politics and rowdy Capitol protests. Announcements by Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia that they'll support the conservative jurist made Saturday's confirmation vote a formality, an anticlimactic finale to a battle that riveted the nation for nearly a month.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski Reveals She Will Not Support Brett Kavanaugh

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced she will not be voting for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh while speaking on the Senate floor Friday night. "Mr. President, I think we saw from the vote earlier today, we've seen from statements from several of our colleagues that it does appear that Judge Kavanaugh will be seated on the Supreme Court without my vote," Murkowski stated.

Kavanaugh’s victory is a big win for conservatives

The Senate narrowly confirmed embattled nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court Saturday, cementing the conservative majority on the nation's highest court after a bitter confirmation battle that left the Senate bruised and the nation divided. The disunion was evident in the 50-48 vote that put Kavanaugh on the court - a historically narrow margin - and in the screams of the protesters yelling, "Shame!" inside the chamber as the roll call was tallied.

Grassley suggests lack of women on Judiciary is because ‘it’s a lot…

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley on Friday suggested the lack of women on the committee was due to its heavy workload, but later said the committee is a lot of work for male senators as well. When asked why there aren't more female senators on the committee, the Iowa Republican said: "Well, it's a lot of work.