Kavanaugh: I think my whole life is subject to consideration.

Hirono: Is that a yes? Credibility, character, and candor are specific traits that would be of interest to us as we consider putting you for life on the highest court in the country—credibility, character, and candor?

Kavanaugh: Of course, as part of my whole life.

Hirono: Is temperament also an important trait for us to consider?

Kavanaugh: For 12 years everyone who’s appeared before me on the D.C. Circuit has praised my judicial temperament. That’s why I have the unanimous well-qualified rating from the American Bar Association and all the people who have appeared before—

Hirono: So you would agree that temperament is also an important factor?

Kavanaugh: Yes. The federal public defender who testified to the committee talked about how I was always open-minded and how I’d ruled in favor of unpopular defendants, how I was fair-minded. I think universally lawyers who have appeared before the D.C.—

Hirono: So the answer is yes. I am running out of time.

15. Cory Booker to Kavanaugh: “Do You Wish She Had Not Come Forward?”

Booker: Sir, you also said that this past two weeks has been a two-week effort calculated and orchestrated as a political hit. Are you saying that Dr. Ford’s efforts to come forward, to prepare for the very difficult testimony she gave today, to travel to Washington, D.C., and tell us about her experience, have all been part of an orchestrated political hit, and are you basically calling her some kind of political operative?

Kavanaugh: I’ve said my family has no ill will toward Dr. Ford. She wanted confidentiality. Her confidentiality was blown by the actions of this committee and it’s caused—it's turned this into a circus.

Booker: So, sir, let’s just be clear. In other words, you have problems with the senators that are up here and how we conducted it, but you’re not saying in any way that she is a political pawn, political operative. You have sympathy for her. She is talking about a sexual assault, is that correct?

Kavanaugh: I said all allegations should be taken seriously. You should listen to both sides. My family has no ill will toward her.

Booker: Thank you, sir. Do you wish that she never came forward?

Kavanaugh: Senator, I did not do this.

Booker: That’s not my question, sir. Could you try to answer my question, sir? Do you wish she never came forward?

Kavanaugh: The witnesses who were there say it didn’t happen.

Booker: Okay, sir. Do you wish she had just remained silent then?

Kavanaugh: I wish—the witnesses who were there say it didn’t happen. All allegations should be taken seriously.

Kavanaugh went nuclear during Thursday’s hearing.

16. Feinstein Says Her Staff “Did Not Leak” Ford’s Story

Feinstein: Mr. Chairman, let me be clear. I did not hide Dr. Ford’s story. She asked me to hold it confidential and I kept it confidential as she asked. She apparently was stalked by the press, felt that what happened, she was forced to come forward and her greatest fear was realized. She’s been harassed, she’s had death threats, and she’s had to flee her home. In addition, the investigation that the Republican majority is heralding is really nothing that I know about other than a partisan practice. Normally all the witnesses would be interviewed. However, that’s not what’s happened. While the majority has reached out to several people, they did not notify me or my staff that they were doing this, and so to argue that we would not participate, but not tell us what they were up to, is somewhat disingenuous. I was given some information by a woman who was very much afraid, who asked that it be held confidential, and I held it confidential until she decided that she would come forward.

17. Kavanaugh Says He Did Not Watch Ford’s Testimony

Harris: I only have a few seconds left and I’ll just ask you a direct question. Did you watch Dr. Ford’s testimony?

Kavanaugh: I did not.

Harris: Thank you.

Kavanaugh: I planned to, but I did not. I was preparing mine.