Kavanaugh confirmation all but sure

After weeks of shocking accusations, hardball politics and rowdy Capitol protests, a pair of wavering senators declared Friday they will back Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation, all but guaranteeing the deeply riven Senate will elevate the conservative jurist to the nation's highest court on today. The announcements by Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia ended most of the suspense over a political battle that has transfixed the nation - though die-hard Democrats insisted on arguing through the night to a mostly empty Senate chamber.

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.

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.

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.

Latest: Legal expert: Van Dyke could get 6 years in prison

The Latest on the murder trial of white Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in the shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald : One legal expert says a white Chicago police officer is likely looking at less than 10 years in prison for killing a black teenager rather than decades because jurors opted to convict him of second-degree murder and not first-degree murder. Steve Greenberg has defended clients at more than 100 murder trials.