Alexander, Corker Will Vote to Confirm Kavanaugh

Tennessee's Republican senators are standing by Brett Kavanaugh. 

Within hours of the conclusion of an extraordinary day of testimony about the sexual assault allegations against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker announced they will vote to confirm him. 

Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University and research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, says that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school in 1982. She has called for the FBI to investigate her claims, but neither the president nor Senate Republicans have supported such an investigation. She described the alleged assault during her opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday morning: 

When I got to the top of the stairs, I was pushed from behind into a bedroom. I couldn’t see who pushed me. Brett and Mark came into the bedroom and locked the door behind them. There was music already playing in the bedroom. It was turned up louder by either Brett or Mark once we were in the room. I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me. He began running his hands over my body and grinding his hips into me. I yelled, hoping someone downstairs might hear me, and tried to get away from him, but his weight was heavy. Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes. He had a hard time because he was so drunk, and because I was wearing a one-piece bathing suit under my clothes. I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming. This was what terrified me the most, and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me. Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They both seemed to be having a good time. Mark was urging Brett on, although at times he told Brett to stop. A couple of times I made eye contact with Mark and thought he might try to help me, but he did not.

During this assault, Mark came over and jumped on the bed twice while Brett was on top of me. The last time he did this, we toppled over and Brett was no longer on top of me. I was able to get up and run out of the room.

Kavanaugh denies the allegation, as well as two others that have surfaced since. 

In his own opening statement, Kavanaugh was visibly enraged at times, denying the allegations and denouncing Democrats on the committee for enabling what he called a "national disgrace." 

This has destroyed my family and my good name. A good name built up through decades of very hard work and public service at the highest levels of the American government.

This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election. Fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record. Revenge on behalf of the Clintons. and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups.

This is a circus. The consequences will extend long past my nomination. The consequences will be with us for decades. This grotesque and coordinated character assassination will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions, from serving our country.

In announcing his intent to vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation, Alexander echoed the nominee's sentiments. 

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Corker, who is retiring from the Senate this fall, said "while both individuals provided compelling testimony, nothing that has been presented corroborates the allegation."

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The committee is scheduled to vote tomorrow on whether to move Kavanaugh's confirmation on to the full Senate.