US Senate votes 51:49 to advance Kavanaugh confirmation

The Senate’s confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee for the US Supreme Court, passed its last hurdle Friday with a 51:49 vote to end the debate and advance the confirmation vote on Saturday. Three of the four swing voters rallied behind the nominee.  If this division holds in the final Senate vote, Kavanaugh is through to take his place in the Supreme Court at the end of a furious, long-drawn campaign mounted against him by the Democratic senators. The scale was tipped in Kavanaugh’s favor on Thursday night when an FBI investigation that found no corroboration for the allegation of sexual misconduct leveled against him was deposited with the Senate.