stopped or even slowed down. that announcement came as a blow to flake's closest friend on the judiciary committee who learned it from a news reporter. saying that reporters broke the news to senator chris coons about jeff flake's vote in the hallway as senator coons walked into the hearing. coons said, oh, f, then choked up. we each make choices for our own reason, i'm struggling, sorry. he was choked up. so delaware senator chris coons entered the hearing room choked up and struggling and sorry that his friends decision made the confirmation decision a done deal. but chris coons did not know and the reporters in the hearing room did not know that five minutes after jeff flake announced his decision, he left his office and he got onto a senator's-only elevator, headed to the hearing room and after a