What a difference a day makes

The GOP obviously doesn't have the votes to "ram through" Kavanaugh nomination.

Senate Republicans said Friday they had agreed to ask the FBI to investigate sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a move that will temporarily delay his nomination.

The move comes as multiple senators, including GOP Sens. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), are calling for the FBI to be given a chance to investigate, raising questions about if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would be able to move the nomination without a deal.

“There’s essentially going to be a supplemental FBI background investigation,” Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, told reporters.

  The Hill

Hard fought and won.

The Judiciary Committee said in a statement that it will ask the administration to instruct the FBI to conduct the investigation.

"The supplemental FBI background investigation would be limited to current credible allegations against the nominee and must be completed no later than one week from today," the committee said in a statement.

Who says what's credible?

Senators are still expected to hold a procedural vote on Kavanaugh's nomination on Saturday. But a vote to end debate on Kavanaugh on Monday and hold a final vote on his nomination Tuesday are expected to be pushed back to allow the FBI investigation to wrap up.

Friday's announcement came as McConnell, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and Murkowski — a potential swing vote — met behind closed doors to discuss the path forward.

Also, the threat of having to go through a possible impeachment must have weighed in as a factor.

The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Friday that he would bring Mark Judge, a friend of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, before the panel if the Democrats take control of the House next year.

“We’re going to have to look at Judge, the more I think about it,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who’s in line to take the Oversight gavel if the House flips in November’s midterm elections.

[...]

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) on Friday floated the idea that the Democrats would subpoena Judge if they win back the lower chamber next year.

  The Hill

And, wow, what a difference the threat of an FBI investigation makes.

A lawyer for Mark Judge, the high school buddy of embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, told CNBC that Judge "will answer any and all questions posed to him" by the FBI about serious sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh.

The cooperation offer came after several senators asked for Kavanaugh's final confirmation vote to be delayed until the FBI has a chance to investigate claims that he tried to rape a 15-year-old girl in the early 1980s while Judge looked on.

  CNBC

He didn't just "look on." 

I suspect he's going to claim no memory and back off the adamant insistence that nothing happened.

At any rate, the Democrats get both demands:  an FBI investigation, and Judge's testimony.  Hard fought and won.

It's hard to say whether the Grassley's Asses caved due to the lack of votes within their party or because they felt the public backlash after the hearing, but if I were a betting man, I'd say the former.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.