Updated at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 28: Revised to include comment from Rep. Beto O'Rourke.

WASHINGTON-- Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called Thursday's confirmation hearing for Judge Brett Kavanaugh "shameful" and defended the judge against sexual assault allegations from three decades ago that he characterized as a political smear.

"This has been one of the most shameful chapters in the history of the United States Senate," he said, accusing Democrats of a "profoundly unfair process" by sitting on the allegations for months.

And Texas's other senator, John Cornyn, said the hearing was the Senate's worst embarrassment since the red scare era of the Cold War.

"I can’t think of a more embarrassing scandal for the United States Senate since the McCarthy hearings," Cornyn said. "When the comment was about the cruelty of the process toward the people involved, and the question was asked, 'Have you no sense of decency?' And I’m afraid we’ve lost that, at least for the time being."

Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin spent roughly five years trying to prove communist infiltration of Hollywood, the State Department and the U.S. military during the 1950s.

Cornyn echoed other Senate Republican committee members' outraged tones in his questioning.

"You've been accused of multiple crimes," he told the embattled Supreme Court nominee. "In order to vote against your nomination we would have to conclude that you are a serial liar.... It's outrageous, and you're right to be angry."

Kavanaugh displayed furious indignation during the hearing.

"I'm never going to get my reputation back," he told Cornyn, the majority whip, after hours of testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, a professor who claims Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than three decades ago.

Cornyn told reporters that he "found no reason to find her not credible."

But with Kavanaugh at the witness table, he made it clear which side he came down on in the extraordinary day of testimony. Cornyn appeared to tear up as Kavanaugh choked up defending himself against allegations that threaten his elevation to the nation's highest court.

"Judge, don't give up. The American people are listening to this and they will make their decision and I think you will come out of the right side of that," Cornyn said.

Ted Cruz, John Cornyn and Lindsey Graham are conferring after the first part of Kavanaugh’s testimony. pic.twitter.com/drTAmpr80n — Rachel Cohrs (@rachelcohrs) September 27, 2018

Earlier Thursday, Blasey told senators about her accusation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh while they were students at elite private high schools in Washington's Maryland suburbs.

Cornyn and Cruz left the questioning of Blasey to a GOP-hired lawyer from Arizona: Rachel Mitchell, the head of the sex crimes unit at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. So did other Republicans on the Judiciary Committee.

Afterward, Cornyn told reporters, "I thought she did just fine."

Cruz said that he thought the committee did "the right thing" by giving Blasey a chance to testify, and said it was clear Blasey and Kavanaugh's testimony was "in conflict."

Cruz is running a competitive re-election race against Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso. O'Rourke has not come out to oppose Kavanaugh's confirmation directly, unlike many Senate Democrats.

"Dr. Ford showed real courage and strength yesterday. I am hoping that it will be met by a thoughtfulness and political courage from the members of the Judiciary Committee who are about to make a recommendation on a lifetime appointment to the highest court in this country," O'Rourke tweeted Friday morning.

Dr. Ford showed real courage and strength yesterday. I am hoping that it will be met by a thoughtfulness and political courage from the members of the Judiciary Committee who are about to make a recommendation on a lifetime appointment to the highest court in this country. — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 28, 2018

Both Cornyn and Cruz reiterated complaints throughout the day that Democrats did not present Blasey's allegations to the full committee earlier.

"I regret that she finds herself in that circus-like setting because her letter to Sen. Feinstein was released to the press against her knowledge and without her authorization, and she wasn’t told by her lawyers that she could have been interviewed in a private setting by lawyers, by investigators on both sides and get her testimony that way," Cornyn said during a break between witness testimony.

Sen. Cornyn on Dr. Ford: "I found no reason to find her not credible." pic.twitter.com/0tzGFFYvCD — MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 27, 2018

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., received a letter from Blasey dated July 30. The allegations did not come out until the letter's existence was reported in The Intercept and allegations were detailed in The New Yorker in mid-September.

Cornyn and Cruz teamed up to grill Feinstein about how Blasey's letter leaked to the press.

"Can you tell us that your staff did not leak it?" Cornyn asked.

Feinstein responded to the line of questioning by saying, "The answer is no."

The Intercept's D.C. Bureau Chief, Ryan Grim, tweeted that Feinstein's staff did not leak the letter.

Feinstein's staff did not leak the letter to The Intercept — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) September 27, 2018

Cruz followed up by asking chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to describe a process in which Blasey's allegations could have remained confidential, but still could have been investigated by the committee.

Cornyn said the Judiciary Committee plans to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination on Friday.