Here’s how the behind-the-scenes blather goes: Specter coaxed Leahy into a delay, a sort of gentleman’s agreement not to vote, and then the GOP started whining publicly about the delay they, themselves, had asked for…all the while using said delay to kiss up to Feinstein. Word is that both Trent Lott and Mitch McConnell played to Di’s sense of “fairness and integrity,” and that Lott did so by asking DiFi to give Southwick a second look see interview.

When she did so, Southwick came in and turned on the Southern charming man wattage, and won her over with his “nice guy” persona, hideous judicial record be damned.

Once Di’s mind was changed, the GOP ratcheted up the whining about their vote delay, until they bugged Leahy into setting a vote. Once it was set, several of the other Democrats on the committee realized that DiFi was changing her vote, and informed Leahy of that fact — and told him that he needed to speak to Feinstein about it. Feinstein’s staff says that she told him herself prior to the vote, but I’ve heard from more than one source that isn’t what they heard.