Gayle King: “More Than Three Months Of Drama And Controversy Over The Future Of The Supreme Court Is Set To End In The Next 36 Hours. The Senate Will Decide This Morning Whether To Send The President’s Nomination Of Brett Kavanaugh To A Final Vote.” GAYLE KING: “More than three months of drama and controversy over the future of the supreme court is set to end in the next 36 hours. The senate will decide this morning whether to send the president’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to a final vote, expect it early tomorrow night. Republicans, as you know, control the senate 51-49. So the GOP can only afford to have one of its senators vote no.” [CBS This Morning, CBS, 10/5/18; Video]
Nancy Cordes: “We Should Note Once And For All Today Whether Kavanaugh Has The Support He Needs To Get Confirmed.” NANCY CORDES: “We should note once and for all today whether Kavanaugh has the support he needs to get confirmed. That’s because this small number of undecided senators may vote to end debate today the way they’re going to vote on final confirmation tomorrow. As forces on both sides pile on the pressure all the way to the end.” [CBS This Morning, CBS, 10/5/18; Video]
Nancy Cordes: “In A Final Bid Before The Vote Anti Kavanaugh Protesters Spent The Night On Capital Grounds.” NANCY CORDES: “In a final bid before the vote anti Kavanaugh protesters spent the night on capital grounds, egged on by Democrats.” [CBS This Morning, CBS, 10/5/18; Video]
Mary Bruce: “We Saw Senators Like Susan Collins Come Out And Call This A Thorough Report, But She Was Just Spotted Leaving That Secure Room Again, Taking Another Close Look. Not Just At This Report, But Also Reading Through Transcripts Of Calls That Came Into The FBI Tip Line.” DAVID MUIR: “That first crucial vote is expected in the senate tomorrow. Tell us how this works. And tonight, as you just reported, four of those five key senators have not revealed how they’ll vote?” MARY BRUCE: “Well, David, we saw senators like Susan Collins come out and call this a thorough report, but she was just spotted leaving that secure room again, taking another close look, not just at this report, but also reading through transcripts of calls that came into the FBI tip line. But David, these undecided senators don’t have a lot of time left to make up their mind. The senate is expected to vote to end debate on Kavanaugh’s nomination tomorrow morning, setting up a final vote for Saturday afternoon.” [World News Tonight, ABC, 10/4/18; VIDEO]
Jonathan Karl: “The White House Actually At One Point Said It Was Up To The Senate To Decide Whether Or Not That Report Would Be Released. The Bottom Line Is, This Report Is Almost Certainly Not Going To Be Released.” DAVID MUIR: “Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley was pressed today on whether the FBI report should be made public at some point. His answer was, ‘Talk to The White House.’ That’s what you do all day long so, what are they saying tonight?” JONATHAN KARL: “Well, David, The White House actually at one point said it was up to the senate to decide whether or not that report would be released. The bottom line is, this report is almost certainly not going to be released. Both White House officials, and senators, and senate officials have said that the have privacy concerns of both Kavanaugh and his accusers would lead to not releasing the report, and there simply is no precedent. These FBI reports are never actually released publicly.” [World News Tonight, ABC, 10/4/18; VIDEO]
Terry Moran on Retired Justice John Paul Stevens Speaking Out Against Kavanaugh’s Confirmation, “That Is An Extraordinary Rebuke. Justice Stevens Often Voted Liberal But He Was Always Considered A Cordial And Very Correct Colleague Up There.” TERRY MORAN: “That is an extraordinary rebuke. Justice Stevens often voted liberal but he was always considered a cordial and very correct colleague up there. His willingness to denounce this nominee is a sign of the challenges Judge Kavanaugh and the court will face if he’s confirmed by the senate.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 10/5/18; VIDEO]
Mary Bruce: “The Senate Will Hold That Vote Later This Morning, Setting Up A Possible Final Vote Tomorrow Afternoon. But There Is One More Potential Wrinkle Here. One Republican Senator, Steve Daines, Is Going To Be Out Of Town. It’s His Daughter’s Wedding.” MARY BRUCE: “The senate will hold that vote later this morning, setting up a possible final vote tomorrow afternoon. But there is one more potential wrinkle here. One republican senator, Steve Daines, is going to be out of town. It’s his daughter’s wedding. Republicans here don’t seem too concerned. Steve Daines reportedly said he’s confident of two things happening this weekend,that Judge Kavanaugh can be confirmed, and that he is going to walk his daughter down the aisle.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 10/5/18; VIDEO]
WSJ OP-ED
Joe Scarborough: “Those Were His Partisan Words. They Were Calculated. He Wrote Them Himself And As A Judge He Certainly Understood The Weight Of Every Word That Was Put In That Statement.” JOE SCARBOROUGH: “If Mr. Kavanaugh truly is or believes himself to be a victim of mistaken identity, his anger is understandable but he went further than expressing anger, he gratuitously indulged in hyper-partisan rhetoric against the left. And he talked about a calculated orchestrated political hit fueled by pent up anger filled by president trump in the 2016 election and revenge on behalf of the Clintons and the “Washington post” concludes, rightly, that with the sort of rhetoric regardless of how angry he was that sort of rhetoric, which was calculated, which he himself said he wrote, nobody else wrote, he tore up the notes that somebody else wrote for him, those were his partisan words. They were calculated. He wrote them himself and as a judge he certainly understood the weight of every word that was put in that statement. So the Washington Post coming out today editorializing against his elevation to the supreme court. First time that paper has done that in over 30 years.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/5/18; VIDEO]
Joe Scarborough: “It’s So Problematic. To Think About Somebody Like That Sitting On The Supreme Court Where There Is Never Going To Be A Decision That He Makes That Isn’t Tainted By Partisanship.” JOE SCARBOROUGH: “Well, you know, Mika, that is, those are, it doesn’t matter where you stand, whether you’re conservative or liberal, whether you support the judge or don’t support the judge, it’s so problematic. To think about somebody like that sitting on the supreme court where there is never going to be a decision that he makes that isn’t tainted by partisanship. And, yes, federal judges can be partisan. They do have their own beliefs, their own opinions but my god, every federal judge I’ve ever known has certainly shown I’ve been fortunate, I guess a lot of dignity and you can’t get them talking about politics because they find it unbecoming.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/5/18; VIDEO]
Dan Abrams On Judge Kavanaugh’s Op-Ed, “I Think He Had To Do This. Meaning, In The Legal Community The Biggest Problem He Was Having Was His Testimony. Was The Fact That He Was Talking About Left Wing Opposition Groups And Clinton Revenge, And That Was Not Helpful To Him.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 10/5/18; VIDEO]
John Berman: “Brett Kavanaugh Himself Did Something Unprecedented Overnight. He Conceded That He Might Have Been Too Emotional In His Testimony Before The Senate Judiciary Committee And Promised To Be An Independent And Impartial Judge If Confirmed.” JOHN BERMAN: “Brett Kavanaugh himself did something unprecedented overnight. He conceded that he might have been too emotional in his testimony before the senate judiciary committee and promised to be an independent and impartial judge if confirmed. Ask yourself why did he write this? The answer? Because he thought he had to, because it’s close, because he knows his demeanor in his testimony was a problem for some people, including now one retired supreme court justice who overnight said the testimony from Kavanaugh changed his opinion about whether he should be on the court.” [New Day, CNN, 10/5/18; Video]
Sunlen Serfaty: “Sources Tell CNN That Kavanaugh’s Surprised Op-Ed Was His Own Idea.” SUNLEN SERFATY: “Sources tell CNN that Kavanaugh’s surprised op-ed was his own idea. Meantime up here on capitol hill many key senators seem to be still actively deliberating over their decision.” [New Day, CNN, 10/5/18; Video]
John Berman: “One Other Thing About Brett Kavanaugh That Wrote This Op-Ed. One Other Thing He Told Us That He Wrote Himself With No Other Input Was His Opening Statement Before The Senate.” JOHN BERMAN: “I want to point out one other thing about Brett Kavanaugh that wrote this op-ed. One other thing he told us that he wrote himself with no other input was his opening statement before the senate where he said this is revenge for the Clintons and where he said what goes around comes around, and that was not impromptu, that was written by him.” [New Day, CNN, 10/5/18; Video]
John Berman: “Also Unprecedented Is To Have A Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Basically Campaign To Get Confirmed. Which Is What That Op-Ed Is.” JOHN BERMAN: “Also unprecedented is to have a supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, basically campaign to get confirmed. Which is what that op-ed is, it’s not an apology.” [New Day, CNN, 10/5/18; Video]
Alex Wagner: “Two Lines Of Criticism That Opened Up In The Aftermath Of Kavanaugh’s Testimony. One Was Has He Been Truthful, Has He Maybe Perjured Himself About His Drinking And His Behavior While He Was Drunk. The Second Was Look At How This Man Behaved, Look At His Comportment, Is He Going To Uphold The Integrity Of The Court.” ALEX WAGNER: “There are two lines of criticism that opened up in the aftermath of Kavanaugh’s testimony. One was has he been truthful, has he maybe perjured himself about his drinking and his behavior while he was drunk. The second was look at how this man behaved, look at his comportment, is he going to uphold the integrity of the court. You saw the American bar association came out and said there should be a hearing, and I think that was difficult for Kavanaugh, and then to have a retired Supreme Court retired justice saying this man is not be fir for the court. These are the things that drive the op-ed that we saw.” [New Day, CNN, 10/5/18; Video]