Former President George W Bush has been whipping votes for Kavanaugh among wavering Republican senators.

Kavanaugh was a top aide to Bush. During his testimony on Thursday, Kavanaugh referred to travelling the world with Bush during his presidency.

Bush has reportedly spoken to Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine as well as Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, says she's never seen a nominee for any position behave the way Kavanaugh did yesterday.

"Unbelievable!" she says.

"Judge Kavanaugh used as much political rhetoric as my Republican colleagues," Feinstein says.

"He'd accused Democrats of 'lying in wait' and replacing 'advice and consent with search and destroy'. He even went so far as to say Dr Ford's allegations were nothing more than 'a calculated and orchestrated political hit'."

"This was someone who was aggressive and belligerent," she adds.

"I've never seen someone who wants to be elevated to the highest court in our country behave in that manner."

Feinstein says this is all in "stark contrast" to Dr Ford, who "demonstrated a balanced temperament" and testified despite being "terrified".

Image source, AFP

Committee chairman Grassley says Democrats were "hostile" towards Kavanaugh during yesterday's hearings.

"Not one question to Dr Ford was disrespectful in any way," he says.

"She was treated with courtesy and dignity, as I promised her, but the questions my Democratic colleagues asked Judge Kavanaugh were unequivocally and universally hostile."

Grassley says given how much information Kavanaugh provided during his confirmation proceedings, this has been the "most thorough and transparent" process to confirm a Supreme Court nominee.

He leaves the rest of his statement to the record to allow his colleagues to express their irritation.

Image source, Reuters

Protesters are being kept outside the chamber room, but can be heard when doors open.

"November is coming!" they shout, referring to the forthcoming mid-term elections.

Protesters are also blowing whistles.

More details on the Democrats who have stormed out of the briefing room in apparent protest at Republican Chairman Grassley's handling of the proceedings so far.

Mark Judge, a childhood friend of Kavanaugh, sent a second letter to the Senate committee yesterday.

Grassley read from that letter this morning.

In it, Judge reiterates that he "did not ask to be involved in this matter" and does not want to comment on the matter publicly.

"Brett Kavanaugh and I were friends in high school, but we have not spoken directly in several years," he writes.

"I do not recall the events described by Dr Ford in her testimony before the US Senate Judiciary Committee today. I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr Ford describes."

He adds: "As a recovering alcoholic and a cancer survivor, I have struggled with depression and anxiety. As a result, I avoid public speaking."

Read the full letter here., external

Conservative commentators give their take on the reasons behind Republican support to Kavanaugh.

The BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan, external is live on Capitol Hill, where she is following all of today's late breaking developments.

The Senate Judiciary committee has just voted to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, clearing the way for him to be approved by the committee.

By a vote of 11-8, the panel decided to schedule a confirmation vote at 13:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Friday to send the nomination to the full chamber as early as next week.

Democrats Cory Booker and Kamala Harris reportedly walked out of the committee room in protest.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat Connecticut, requests that the committee compel Mark Judge - the third person Christine Blasey Ford says was in the room when Kavanaugh allegedly assaulted her at a high school party - to testify before the committee.

After a quick vote, the motion is struck down along party lines.

Committee chairman Chuck Grassley moves on briskly.

Minutes after Flake's yes vote was announced, a protester barracked him in a lift on Capitol Hill.

"You're telling all women that they don't matter," she said, as she blocked the lift from closing, with news cameras rolling nearby.

"You're going to ignore them. That’s what happened to me. That's what's happening to all women in America.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you! You're are telling that my assault doesn't matter!"

She asked if the senator believes that Brett Kavanaugh is telling the truth.

Flake nodded silently, looking very uncomfortable, before saying that he would speak later.

Image source, AFP

Republican Arizona Senator Jeff Flake has just announced he will vote to confirm Kavanaugh.

In a statement, the retiring senator said he will vote yes because "our system of justice affords a presumption of innocence".

"While some may argue that a different stand should apply regarding the Senate's advice and consent responsibilities, I believe that the constitution's provision of fairness and due process apply here as well."

With Flake's vote, Kavanaugh moves much closer to receiving full Senate confirmation next week.

Image source, Getty Images

The Senate Judiciary Committee has just met to vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court.

The vote could result in a recommendation that the candidate should be confirmed or rejected, or in no recommendation at all.

It comes a day after one of the most dramatic days of Senate testimony in living memory as Kavanaugh rebutted testimony by a woman that he sexually assaulted her at a house in Maryland in 1982.

A final vote by the full chamber could come early next week.