The Senate Judiciary Committee had scheduled a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination for this week, but the seriousness of these allegations merits delaying the vote until the committee and the country have a chance to examine all the facts.
The confirmation process, by design, is meant to determine not only a candidate's qualifications but also fitness for the position he or she will hold.
We think it's a good sign the committee will conduct these proceedings in the view of the public instead of with a round of phone calls. The evidence presented and the credibility of both Kavanaugh and his accuser is critically important, and the consequence of this situation demands that it be reviewed in a public forum. That way, the country won't have to rely on secondhand information and interpretations of what both say.
With that said, we also urge members of the committee from both parties to conduct these additional hearings with the professionalism we expect from our elected leaders.
Editorial on 09/22/2018