Remarkable

Last week, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona declared that more time and an FBI investigation were needed to decide on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. New allegations against Kavanaugh had clouded the hearings devoted to his nomination.

Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee wanted a fuller investigation as well. The Republicans accused them of trying to delay the vote. The Republicans wanted the vote and the matter closed quickly.

Neither party was willing to bend from their stance.

Then, Flake, a Republican, broke ranks and called for a compromise.

The result is an investigation of the allegations against Kavanaugh by the FBI. The investigation was to be limited in both scope and time. That has slightly changed, but so far the compromise is holding.

It was masterful.

Enough Republicans went along with Flake to allow it to happen, conceding only to a tight time frame and limited scope.

Until Flake’s compromise, the Republican and Democrats were locked in partisan mortal combat. Neither side was giving the other an inch.

The compromise was remarkable in this atmosphere.

More remarkable was a statement that Flake made on a television interview. He said that had he not announced his departure from the Senate, he could not have proposed the deal. He said there was no incentive to work across the aisle.

Remarkable.

This in itself speaks volumes about the mess we are in. The political parties cannot work together for the good of the country. In fact, cooperation and compromise are discouraged. They carry political dangers. Flake could venture into the fray simply because he is not going to face reelection.

Friday, according to the original compromise, is the deadline for the FBI investigation report. If the Democrats demand more time and a broader investigation, this may be the very last effort at bipartisan cooperation in our lifetimes.

Flake went out on a very skinny limb. He solved an impasse. It is a disgrace and an indictment on both sides of the aisle that a senator who wished to continue in the Senate could not do the same.