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The Senate has requested a supplemental FBI investigation to help them in their decision making and that is underway.
I think people may not understand the limits of "an FBI investigation" in this case. The FBI cannot issue subpoenas, the Senate committee can. The FBI cannot compel people to testify. Without subpoena power, the FBI cannot get phone records, email records or bank records.
The four people named by Ford have already produced sworn statements that they were not there, that the party did not happen, blah-blah-blah. They cannot change those statements without being under penalty of perjury.
The bet that should be made at this junction is whether one of the major Democratic operatives, such as Creepy Porn Lawyer, comes up with yet another delaying tactic at the last hour of the last day of the FBI investigation. You know they will.
A lot of people blindly worship the three letter agencies FBI, CIA, NSA. When the FBI investigation finds no evidence supporting the accusations as is highly likely it will help wake some of the half asleep people.
It was not particularly logical to outsource this investigation to the FBI as you note. It is really is the Senate's job and they have the power to compel testimony under oath.
However the far left is not a particularly logical entirely and as a whole more motivated by identity politics and feelings. Traditional liberals who historically valued individual freedoms are marginalised and hold no power in today's left. Indeed liberalism today increasingly has more in common with conservatism than it does with leftism.
No matter what happens now Kavanaugh is going be be thought of as a dangerous rapist by a third of the country. USA today ran an article saying he was too dangerous to be allowed to coach his daughters basketball team. Nevertheless going through this week long FBI investigation will allow him to clear his name as much as is possible without allowing this tactic of last second uncorroborated allegation derail his nomination.
It's smart politics and probably the best possible response to this circus.
I won't take you up on that bet, however, as another attempt at delay after the FBI investigation is done seems almost a given at this point. However, that will be the time to vote which is what I expect the Senate will do.
Can they only put people under oath and ask them stuff, or do they do investigations like law enforcement?
Would appreciate if anyone can explain it.