SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

THE COUNTDOWN – The next big event in the major motion picture, "Here Comes Brett," will occur tomorrow (Friday) morning or early afternoon, when the Senate votes on whether to impose cloture, which in this case would mean the start of a 30-hour waiting period that would end, late Saturday, in a final vote for or against confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh. 

WHERE IT STANDS – Exactly where it stood last night, with one exception.  Hopeless Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp, running for re-election in the pro-Kavanaugh state of North Dakota, announced that she's a "no" on Kavanaugh, which will make her even more unpopular in her state.  Polls show her far behind, with really no chance of re-election, and some believed she would vote for the judge to boost her standing.  She apparently calculated that she'd rather satisfy her Democratic base, so she'll have someone to have lunch with in her impending retirement. 

The other holdouts who will decide Kavanaugh's fate are still held out, even though they know everything they're gonna.  Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, is doing a Hamlet, although reports say she tilts toward the judge.  Lisa Murkowski, semi-Republican of Alaska, is similarly Shakespearean.  She has given no hint.  Jeff Flake of Arizona, leaving the Senate at the end of his term, has hinted at a "yes," but the hint is only a whisper.  Joe Manchin, Dem of heavily Trump West Virginia, wants to read more.   Apparently there are some good novels in the Senate reading room.

CLOSE CALL – Those with heart conditions got a scare earlier tonight when it was announced that Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana would possibly miss the confirmation vote because his daughter is getting married Saturday night.  Apparently Senator Daines received an appropriate appeal, including a discussion of how much he valued his knees, and hurriedly called Judge Kavanaugh to assure him he'd be there for the vote.

AN ANGRY GRASSLEY – Senator Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is generally mild, but today he called out members of the press for bias, something I've never seen him do before.  Good for Chuck.  The behavior of the press in the Kavanaugh case has been even more disgraceful than usual.  The press has acted as a cheering section for Professor Ford and the Democrats, and a serial harasser of Judge Kavanaugh.  I do believe most Americans are on to this.  I wonder how long they'll continue to watch some news channels and read some newspapers.  The pressis not doing the job the Founders intended, and the public must make the market work and pull the plug on some of these propaganda outlets, while not restricting press freedom. 

We now await the cloture vote.  We also await any last-minute surprises, which are likely to come.  Stand by for a last-minute mystery witness, who personally saw Brett Kavanaugh do strange things with Mickey Mouse.

October 4, 2018