TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF HER
FAMILY AND LIFE FIRST.
NEIL: WE'LL SEE -- SPEAKING WITH
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR RIGHT NOW.
ALABAMA DEMOCRAT DOUG JONES.
HE IS CALLING FOR MARK JUDGE,
THE HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND OF
BRETT KAVANAUGH TO TESTIFY AS
WELL IF IT COMES TO THAT
SENATOR, THANK YOU FOR TAKING
HAVING ME.
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW, THERE IS
CERTAINLY A HISTORY IN ALL OF
THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEES OR
SENATE COMMITTEES AND HOUSE
COMMITTEES IF YOU HAVE RELUCK
TAN WITNESSES YOU ISSUE A
SUBPOENA FOR THEM.
THAT IS ROUTINE.
AND, AS I SAID BEFORE, CLEARLY
HIS, HIS REFUSAL TO COME AND
STATING WHY, WILL BE ENTERED
INTO THE RECORD.
BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE TESTED AS
COME.
IF WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARING, MAKE
HIM COME PUBLIC TO
CROSS-EXAMINATION, SEE HOW IT
GOES.
FULL INVESTIGATION AND HEARING.
NEIL: WHAT KIND OF REACTION HAVE
YOU GOTTEN FROM REPUBLICANS?
HAVE YOU TALKED TO ANY
REPUBLICANS AT ALL?
>> WE WENT OUT OF SESSION
YESTERDAY.
I HOPE THERE IS STILL
DISCUSSIONS.
THIS NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT OF
THE POLITICAL WORLD.
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN
INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY AND
NOMINATION NOT SUPPOSED TO BE AS
TRIBAL AS THIS HAS COME.
WE NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK, LET
THIS PLAY OUT.
LET THE FBI DO AN INVESTIGATION.
THE PRESIDENT, I HEARD HIM AGAIN
TO SAY TODAY, TO SAY THAT THE
FBI SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
THEY DO THIS.
BUT GET THEM ALL UNDER OATH.
THIS MONDAY HEARING WITH OR
WITHOUT DR. FORD.
THERE HAVE BEEN EFFORTS, WE'RE
TOLD AND OUTREACH TO SPEAK WITH
HER, EVEN AWAY FROM THE GLARE OF
CAMERAS AT HER CALIFORNIA HOME,
AS PLANNED, CONTINUING A VOTE
WITHIN COMMITTEE ON THE JUDGE'S
NOMINATION, AND A FULL SENATE
VOTE, WOULD YOU PARTICIPATE IN
ALL OF THAT?
>> WELL, WHEN YOU SAY
PARTICIPATE I'M NOT A MEMBER OF
THE COMMITTEE.
IF I'M CALLED ON TO VOTE --
NEIL: FULL SENATE.
>> IF I'M CALLED ON TO VOTE I
WILL NOT GIVE A PROTEST VOTE
ABSTENTION.
I WILL NOT DO THAT.
MY ROLE AS A SENATOR IS NOT TO
DO THINGS LIKE THAT.
NEIL: I WANT TO BE CLEAR SOME OF
YOUR COLLEAGUES HAS BEEN BANDIED
ABOUT, THEY WOULD HAVE A PROTEST
PREROGATIVE.
IT IS NOT THE POSITION I WOULD
TAKE PERSONALLY.
UNFORTUNATE TO GO FORWARD WITH
HAVING A THE ABILITY TO TALK TO
DR. FORD.
SHE, HER LIFE HAS BEEN UPENDED.
YOU MAYBE MENTIONED DOING
SOMETHING AT HER HOME.
THEY CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE SHE
WE NEED TO LET THIS REST.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE
FBI TO DO THAT.
YOU CAN'T HAVE FULL COMMITTEE
HEARING WITHOUT GETTING MORE
FACTS.
IF WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE A HER
STATEMENT WITHOUT BEING TESTED
AHEAD OF TIME OR LOOKING AT
FACTS AND JUDGE KAVANAUGH'S,
THAT HEARING COULD DEVOLVE INTO
DO YOU WORRY THE SAME RESPECT
MIGHT NOT BE SHOWN TO THE JUDGE?
THIS IS UNFAIR TO HIM HAD AND
THAT THIS LETTER, FROM THIS
WOMAN, THAT DATES BACK TO THE
SUMMER, DIANNE FEINSTEIN HAD IN
HER HAND, DIDN'T DO ANYTHING
AND FORTH ON THAT, DO YOU THINK
DEMOCRATS ON THAT COMMITTEE, I
KNOW YOU'RE NOT ON THAT
COMMITTEE HANDLED THIS FAIRLY?
>> NO.
LOOK, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE
I SAID THAT FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING, NEIL.
BUT ONLY WAY TO BE FAIR TO
EVERYONE IS TO LET THE FBI GET
ENGAGED IN THIS, TO LOOK AT THE
FACTS.
THAT IS WHAT THEY'RE TRAINED TO
DO.
THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME.
THAT WAY WHEN THE SENATE DOES
CONVENE AND JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
CONVENIENCE THEY WILL HAVE MORE
THAN JUST A STATEMENT AND A
DENIAL.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BOTH SIDES
GOT IS THAT WE SEEM TO HAVE
THE COLLEAGUES ON OTHER SIDE
SAYING WE NEED TO WAIT.
UNFORTUNATELY LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE
ALREADY MADE UP THEIR MIND.
I DON'T THINK THAT IS
APPROPRIATE.
I THINK --
NEIL: SEEMS ON BOTH SIDES.
YOU'RE TRYING TO BE VERY
YOU HEARD BEFORE WHAT HE HAD TO
SAY HE WENT DOWN TO
NORTH CAROLINA.
THAT THIS PROCESS IS NOT BEING
FAIR, DEMOCRATS ON COMMITTEE,
REPUBLICANS LOCKED INTO THEIR
POSITION AS YOU SAID.
DEMOCRATS LOCKED INTO THEIR
POSITION.
I DON'T KNOW OF A SINGLE VOTE
CHANGES AS A RESULT.
>> YOU MAY BE CORRECT ABOUT
THAT, BUT THE FACT IS WE ARE
BEGINNING I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED
ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
OF DOCUMENTS THAT HE SAID BACK
IN THE SUMMER WERE APPROPRIATE
TO GET TO REVIEW PRIOR TO A
NOMINATION BEING CONSIDERED BY
THE COMMITTEE.
THOSE DOCUMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN
OCTOBER.
SO THERE IS A FUNDAMENTAL
UNFAIRNESS TO BOTH PARTIES THAT
HAS BEEN ON GOING.
AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS COULD
HAVE BEEN DONE EARLIER IS REALLY
BESIDE THE POINT AT THIS STAGE
OF THE PROCEEDINGS.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS PLAY THE
HAND THAT WE'RE DEALT NOW.
THE HAND WE'RE DEALT NOW IS TO
BE FAIR TO BOTH PARTIES.
LET'S SEE WE GET WITH
INVESTIGATION.
IT WOULD NOT TAKE LONG.
NOBODY IS SAYING PUT THIS BACK
TO THE END OF THE YEAR OR SO THE
FIRST OF NEXT YEAR.
IT WOULD NOT TAKE LONG FOR A
VERY EFFICIENT FBI TO UPDATE A
THE COMMITTEE REVIEW THAT AND
HAVE THE HEARING AS THEY SEE
FIT.
NEIL: SENATOR, YOUR PICK UP WAS
ONE OF THE MORE HISTORIC ONES
FOR DEMOCRATS IN RED AS YOU CAN
GET IN ALABAMA.
NOW THERE ARE SIGNS THAT SOME
POTENTIAL FLIPS ARE IN THE WORKS
THAT COULD SEND THE SENATE
TO TRY TO GET THIS NOMINATION
SECURED BEFORE ANY OF THAT
HAPPENS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> WELL I THINK WE SHOULD, THAT
IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING
POLITICAL CONTEXT.
THIS IS A SUPREME COURT
NOMINATION.
NEIL.
THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL GAME.
NEIL: BUT THIS NOMINEE WOULD GO
NOWHERE RIGHT?
>> NO I DISAGREE WITH THAT I
COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH THAT.
WE HAVE TWO YEARS LEFT ON THIS
ADMINISTRATION.
I DISAGREE WITH THAT.
THE SENATE AND HIS ADVICE AND
CONSENT TYPE ROLE HE HAS GET
ADVICE DOING THAT, NOT SEEKING
ADVICE FROM OTHER, OTHER
INTEREST GROUPS THAT WE HAVE
HERE.
I THINK WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE THE
POLITICAL BENT OUT OF THIS.
THIS IS PROBLEM.
WE'RE IN A BAD STATE OF THE
COUNTRY WHEN A INDEPENDENT
SUPREME COURT NOMINATION LIKE
THIS TURNED INTO A POLITICAL
CAMPAIGN.
IT'S A REPUBLICAN VERSUS
DEMOCRAT ISSUE.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE.
IT IS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.
AND WE SHOULD GET, TRY TO FIGURE
OUT HOW TO GET BACK TO THE
SENATE'S CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE
BUT IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
WE TRY TO DO THAT.
NEIL: SIR, YOU'VE BEEN VERY
PATIENT.
MY CREW HAS, KEEP GOING LONG,
THIS CONCERNS BEHAVIOR OF TWO
PEOPLE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
IF IT MERITS THE ATTENTION IT IS
GETTING, I'M NOT SAYING IT
SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T, IS THAT A
NEW, IS THAT A NEW PRECEDENT
THAT WORRIES YOU, WE'RE GOING
BACK FURTHER THAN WE NORMALLY
WOULD IN THESE SORT OF
BACKGROUND CHECKS?
>> YOU KNOW, NEIL I THINK THAT
EVERYBODY IS GOING TO JUDGE THIS
ON ITS OWN.
IF WHAT HAPPENS, IF WHAT
DR. FORD SAID HAPPENED IS TRUE,
AND IF YOU COUPLE THAT WITH
CONTINUED DENIALS, PEOPLE ARE
WHICH ARE TALKING ABOUT A
LIFETIME APPOINTMENT TO THE
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.
I THINK THE BAR NEEDS TO BE
PRETTY HIGH FOR THOSE
NOMINATIONS.
NEIL: SENATOR, THANK YOU VERY