Kavanaugh Confirmed

By a vote of 57-36, the Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh this morning to a lifetime appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which is second only to the U.S. Supreme Court in importance. The D.C. Circuit is uniquely positioned to hear cases involving, among other things, workers' rights, environmental safeguards and consumer protections. The vote on Kavanaugh followed a hard press by Senators on the right, who have candidly admitted that moving his controversial nomination was intended to energize the conservative base for November's midterm elections. When Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's cloture motion ripened last night, Senators voted 67-30 to close off debate and proceed to the vote that occurred this morning. For news coverage on Judge Kavanaugh's appointment see today's New York Times, Reuters and the Associated Press.