BRETT KAVANAUGH/DEMS/FBI/GOP/NOMINATION/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Sen. Jeff Flake had just broken Democrats’ hearts. The night before, the retiring Arizona Republican had gotten their hopes up — seeming torn on whether to support confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination after a gut-wrenching day in the Senate Judiciary Committee. But on Friday [9-28-18] morning, he issued a statement saying he would back Kavanaugh, after all…Then Flake got on an elevator, and everything changed. Flake is a sharp critic of President Donald Trump’s demeanor who is retiring rather than running for re-election in a party where Trump is now the center of gravity. He is nonetheless a conservative who almost always votes with the GOP majority. However, on Friday he made his boldest break yet with Trump — throwing Kavanaugh’s confirmation into chaos and bending the Senate to his will…When Flake emerged, he dropped a bombshell that would throw Kavanaugh’s confirmation into chaos: He’d vote to advance him Friday — but wanted a weeklong FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations he faces. Otherwise, Flake, a key swing vote, said he would oppose Kavanaugh on the Senate floor. It was a stunning move that other Senate moderates quickly backed, forcing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s hand and leading Trump to agree to order the FBI probe.”
–Eric Bradner, “Jeff Flake’s moment: How a reliable conservative cast Kavanaugh’s confirmation into doubt,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Septmerb 28, 2018 3:28 pm