As the president celebrated Judge Kavanaugh’s performance, Mr. Flake slipped away to the office of Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine. He huddled there with Ms. Collins, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, and Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia. All four had publicly expressed angst about deciding Judge Kavanaugh’s fate. Yet Judge Kavanaugh’s angry proclamations of innocence and tearful pleas for fairness could not be ignored either. The group made no final decisions, and Ms. Collins and Ms. Murkowski avoided reporters as they left the Capitol later that night.

Source: New York Times September 29, 2018 01:28 UTC