I am almost physically ill right now from the news of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing — although, in truth, I was astounded that the good lady held on for as long as she did. I would take the time to sing her praises, if my knee jerk reaction wasn’t terror at what Mitch McConnell is going to do. And in a surfeit of insult being added to injury, I am sure you recall that last week Donald Trump announced he was adding the names of Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton to the list of potential supreme court justice nominees?
This is from the Washington Post, May 29, 2019:
The politics behind McConnell’s 180 is pretty obvious. It benefited his party to keep the seat open in 2016, and it benefits his party to fill it in 2020, so that’s what he’s going to do. But McConnell’s attempt to explain his blatantly political change of heart about Supreme Court vacancies is more tortured.
McConnell can’t just come out and say that he’s changing his mind because it benefits his party. So to defend against charges of hypocrisy, he’s arguing that in 2016, it would have been supremely rare for a Republican Senate to confirm a Democratic president’s nominee in an election year, so why should McConnell have done it for Barack Obama? In 2020, there’s a Republican Senate and a Republican White House, so McConnell’s in the clear.
The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 18, 2020
This could get very ugly very fast. McConnell can ask the senate to vote on whatever he wants. There is no reason to think that he would be gracious in any way and consider that the election is in 45 days and that the American people should weigh in. He’s too much of a hypocrite to stand by his own rationale of a few years back.
This is a black day. The ink’s not dry on Justice Bader’s death certificate and we’re in another pitched political battle. This is who we are in 2020. Sad but true.
So sick to my stomach. Murkowski just released a statement saying she will not vote on a new justice until after the election.
Get out the Maalox and WATCH. Then we’ll know where it’s going.
It would be nice if she sticks to her guns. Based on past experience, I am not getting my hopes up.
She’s not the only Senator with a vulnerable seat right now.
Good for her. Somebody showing some kind of class. My God, what a development.
Romney and Collins could do that, too.
That’s assuming he can get Trump to play ball. NEVER assume that.
Trump can’t confirm a justice. He isn’t even NAMING these justices. He doesn’t know any judges — McConnell and the Federalist Society are making the lists.
Trump has to NOMINATE a Justice first, Anastasia, a fact that the current hysteria is overlooking. He doesn’t do that, nothing happens. And he is not above screwing them over.
President Trump just released a list of 20 names last week, bonehead!
And you BELIEVED him? If so, YOU’RE the bonehead. Trump will help no one but Trump. And that list was just a way to keep them in line. Getting a new SCOTUS Justice is nowhere near in his interest.
Why not?
Think, Ursula…he gains NOTHING by giving them what they want. At this point, he has the power over them with this. So he’ll make them BEG and, if the usual pattern holds, he’ll just keep stringing them for weeks up until Election Day. He might try something during the lame duck period if he loses but ONLY if he’s in more of a mood to punish us than he is the GOP. And he’s got more direct way on the former.
Certainly a way to keep some Senators in line. But if one of those unqualified idjits gets nominated, they shouldn’t be allowed to vote on it.
This could definitely kill reelection chances for several Republicans — Collins, for sure, probably Gardner, Tillis, McSally, all of who are in trouble, but if they voted togo ahead, they might as well just throw in the towel on their campaigns. Filing that seat now will only excite the hardest of the hardcore — the ones who were already definitely voting for Trump.
Justice Tom Cotton…….
*turns head and spits*…….*blah*
No panic, Blue. See what happens first.
I could cry. Just this morning a friend and I were talking about Ruth and hoping she could hold on for just a few more months. What a loss to us all, and what a disaster for this country if tRump gets away with another SC placement given the laundry list of incompetent idealogues that he’s chosen for us.
As stated, I marveled that she hung on as well as she did. What a trooper. What a champ. But cancer and being 87 is going to take out the best of us. I’m glad she’s at rest now. Although I must say, I so wish we were having this conversation in December.
BAWAHAHAHA! Elections have consequences! LOL!
Go away, troll.
I hope you remember you said that when Biden becomes president.
The difference is that the current occupant is white and officially GOP.
Well, even though the “rules” no longer allow filibusters for Supreme Court nominees, I think it’s time for Senate Democrats to get up and actually PHYSICALLY filibuster any nomination. And if McConnell objects, then the Democrats need to tell McConnell what he can do with his objection (and with as graphic language as needed to show his blatant partisanship–not to mention his sheer hypocrisy).
I’m not sure this should be made a public warning but Democratic Senate leaders should remind McConnell that he and his party may not be in charge much longer so the GOP can expect to reap the whirlwind. (Then the Democratic Senate leaders should meet with Biden–in private–to talk about expanding the size of the Supreme Court and make that one of the first objectives. Oh, and permanently ending the filibuster–which McConnell and his cohorts torched in 2017 to put Gorsuch on the Supreme Court.)
Obama nominated a weak-sauce judge no one could feel passionate about and the Democrats rolled over since they were certain that Clinton would be the next president. I fully expect nothing more from them this time than firey floor speeches, sternly-worded memos, and total capitulation. Oh, and, of course, fund-raising emails.
That’s more than I’m expecting out of you at this point.