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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*
*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.
The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Breaking – Former Sen. Jon Kyl to replace McCain| Wild start to Kavanaugh hearing| Dems interrupt to try and force adjournment| Cornyn blasts Dems for ‘mob rule’| Protesters dress as ‘handmaids’ | Bob Woodward’s new book paints troubling portrait of White House| Dems hold big leads in generic House ballots| What to watch with Congress back| Boehner sings in Labor Day video
NEWS OF THE MORNING
Calling this a circus would be insulting to circuses:
Democrats repeatedly interrupted the first day of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings on Tuesday, arguing the confirmation process should be delayed so they could review tens of thousands of documents related to Kavanaugh’s long career in Washington. Amid jeers from protesters, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) rejected the requests for an adjournment.
Why the chaos?: Hours before the hearing, former President George W. Bush ‘s lawyer turned over 42,000 pages related to Judge Brett Kavanaugh ‘s work in the Bush administration. Democrats argue there was no way to read and process these documents in time. http://bit.ly/2wEwTcM
Livestream of the hearing — it doesn’t disappoint: https://cs.pn/2oF6veA
It’s Tuesday — welcome back! We really have been fully thrown into September. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook .
FROM THE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARING
KEY LINES FROM THE HEARING:
Cornyn says the hearing is run by ‘mob rule’: Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) slammed Democrats on the Judiciary Committee for their decorum during the hearing. “This is the first confirmation hearing that I’ve seen basically according to mob rule. We have rules in the Senate. We have norms for decorum,” Cornyn said.
Kavanaugh calls Justice Anthony Kennedy a ‘mentor’ and ‘friend’: During Kavanaugh’s opening statement, he praised retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, who he is hoping to replace. From Kavanaugh’s opening statement: “To me, Justice Kennedy is a mentor, a friend, and a hero. As a Member of the Court, he was a model of civility and collegiality. He fiercely defended the independence of the Judiciary. And he was a champion of liberty.” http://bit.ly/2Nf1JCl
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS:
Nine. Minutes. Into. The. Hearing.: “Police just removed 3 protesters from the back of the hearing room, one carried by her feet and hands.” http://bit.ly/2NMx1xe
If you’re wondering how disruptive the protesters are: Here’s video of the one of the arrests. This has been happening all morning. Keep in mind: The hearing doesn’t stop for these disruptions, so it gets pretty loud. Watch: http://bit.ly/2Q4qHmw
Spotted in a front row seat at the hearing: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Photo: http://bit.ly/2CivJc4
Getting traction — there are handmaids lining the committee hearing room: Offred, is that you? Photo of the ‘handmaids’ protesting: http://bit.ly/2PxvJH1
Bad news for anyone on Capitol Hill for the hearing: “Senate carry out is already out of coffee. Gonna be a long day.” (From The Huffington Post’s Igor Bobic) http://bit.ly/2Cgn9KY
Tidbit — serving in the Supreme Court is good for your life expectancy: “Wanna live for a really long time? Become a Supreme Court justice. Since 1970, only one justice has died before their 80th birthday– Scalia, who was 79.” http://bit.ly/2oEbGeL
What the hearing invitation looks like: Here’s a photo: http://bit.ly/2NciDS4
Live blog of updates: http://bit.ly/2wEQU1V
WHAT TO EXPECT TODAY AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK:
How long will the confirmation hearing go?: Today’s hearing is just opening statements. It is expected to last until around 2:15 p.m.
Will the hearing continue after today?: Yes. Kavanaugh’s questioning will happen tomorrow and Thursday, starting at 9:30 a.m. and lasting until the evening. Then, outside witnesses will testify on Friday.
^^ Uhh, actually, this hearing could go longer: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said the hearing could be extended. “We hopefully get that done Friday but if we have to go into Saturday and Sunday, we’ll go Saturday and Sunday until we get it all done.”
Can Democrats block Kavanaugh’s confirmation?: No, not on their own. Republicans have a 50-49 majority and nominations only need a simple majority.
Why Democrats can’t filibuster: Republicans nixed the filibuster last year to confirm Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch . http://bit.ly/2MOpiT6
Five topics that will likely come up: Executive privilege, abortion, ObamaCare, civil rights and the Second Amendment. Context and details for each: http://bit.ly/2PzhNME
BREAKING
John McCain ’s replacement is chosen:
Via The Arizona Republic’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Maria Polletta, former Sen. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) will return to Washington, D. C. to replace late-Sen. John McCain R-Ariz.) When this will be announced: 1 p.m. EDT by Arizona Gov. Doug Doucey. http://bit.ly/2Cec2SR Reaction from McCain’s widow Cindy McCain: “John Kyl is a dear friend of mine and John’s. It’s a great tribute to John that he is prepared to go back into public service to help the state of Arizona.” http://bit.ly/2Cqyfxg
Keep in mind — the news cycle always comes full circle: Kyl is the “Sherpa” for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to help him through the confirmation process. https://cnn.it/2NMN1iY
JUST POSTED — IF YOU READ ONE THING TODAY
I’m not sure I’ve ever cringed more while reading an article:
The Washington Post’s Philip Rucker and Robert Costa detail some of the revelations from veteran journalist Bob Woodward ‘s forthcoming tell-all of the Trump White House. The full piece: https://wapo.st/2oEBTcU
HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS:
John Kelly sounds like he’s having SO MUCH fun: White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly told colleagues he thought President Trump was “unhinged,” according to Woodward’s book. “In one small group meeting, Kelly said of Trump: ‘He’s an idiot. It’s pointless to try to convince him of anything. He’s gone off the rails. We’re in Crazytown. I don’t even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I’ve ever had.’ “
Wow, this is how an adviser tried to stop Trump’s trade moves: To prevent President Trump from withdrawing from trade deals, his former top economic adviser Gary Cohn stole a paper off the president’s desk.
Yikes, Trump called Jeff Sessions ‘mentally retarded’: Trump told an aide that he thinks Attorney General Jeff Session was a “traitor” for his recusal in the Russia investigation. “Mocking Sessions’s accent, Trump added, ‘This guy is mentally retarded. He’s this dumb Southerner…. He couldn’t even be a one-person country lawyer down in Alabama.’ “
Aides compared Trump to Nixon: “Learning of the appointment of [special counsel Robert Mueller] in May 2017, Trump groused, ‘Everybody’s trying to get me’– part of a venting period that shellshocked aides compared to Richard Nixon ‘s final days as president.”
Trump wanted to assassinate Assad: According to Woodward, Trump called Defense Secretary James Mattis after Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad attacked civilians with a chemical weapon and said, “Let’s fucking kill him! Let’s go in.
