IF IT ISN'T CLOSE THEY CAN'T CHEAT.

Betsy Newmark includes a number of pre-confirmation hearing posts today.  In particular, I commend Ramesh Ponnuru, "Five Reasons the Republicans Should Stick With Kavanaugh."

1.  Stop encouraging the Democrats to resort to Borking.  Better to get the win fair and square than to resort to Mutual Assured Borking.
2. Any replacement nominee will be slimed in the same way.
3. Now is not the time to go wobbly.  Stand strong now, and turf out those allegedly moderate Democrat senators.
4. If the Republicans fail to hold the Senate, look for the Biden rule to take effect from 2019 until the next presidential inauguration.
5. It doesn't matter what sort of justice votes to overturn Roe v. Wade or any of the other judicial props of the Administrative State.  Opprobrium is opprobrium.

Finish the special hearing, take the vote, then work to turf out Senators Baldwin (Wisconsin), Donnelly (Indiana), Heitkamp (North Dakota), Manchin (West Virginia), and Tester (Montana).

A reprimand for Senators Booker (New Jersey) and Hirono (Hawaii) is also desirable, although that would be an extra helping of ice cream with the cake.

Turf.  Them.  Out.