Posted on 03/29/2017 6:12:37 AM PDT by MarvinStinson
Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) announced Tuesday that he will join fellow Democrats in filibustering Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court, despite in 2006 supporting Gorsuch to become a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
Durbin, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat, took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to voice his opposition to Gorsuch's nomination.
"He did not earn my vote," Durbin reportedly said. "I'll vote no when his nomination comes before the committee next week. I will vote no on cloture, and I'll oppose his nomination on the Senate on the Senate floor."
He reiterated his floor comments via Twitter.
Senator Dick Durbin ✔ @SenatorDurbin
With the legal and constitutional issues haunting this White House, the Senate cannot rubber stamp a lifetime appointment for this President
Senator Dick Durbin ✔ @SenatorDurbin
I will vote no when Gorsuch comes before the Judiciary Cmte. I will vote no on cloture. I will oppose his nomination on the Senate floor. 12:06 PM - 28 Mar 2017
At least 21 other Senate Democrats have pledged to vote against Gorsuch as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) rallies support to filibuster the judge's nomination.
Gorsuch, President Donald Trump's nominee to the high court, spent last week going through several hours of testimony during his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee as they asked him questions about previous rulings and his judicial philosophy.
Durbin, a member of the Judiciary Committee, appeared to be impressed by Gorsuch's performance, calling the judge "very gifted" last week.
"Well, of course, he's very gifted," Durbin said of Gorsuch on CNN. "He has a great background in services, judge. And very smooth, and very folksy and personable in the witness chair."
Durbin previously voted to confirm Gorsuch to be a federal Circuit Court judge. The Illinois Democrat appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" last month, when he was asked by co-host Willie Geist whether he supported Gorsuch in 2006.
"Do I have it right that you voted ‘aye' on the voice vote in 2006 when Gorsuch was up for the federal appeals court," Geist asked.
"Good question, Willie. I just don't remember, to be honest with you," Durbin responded. "On voice votes, you don't make much of a note of it and it's possible–I don't believe there was a lot of controversy surrounding it, but let me tell you he's moving from triple-A ball to the big leagues here."
Geist cited the congressional record to point out that Durbin did support Gorsuch.
"The congressional record shows you did vote in favor–it was a unanimous vote, but has something changed in your view of Gorsuch since 2006 when you did vote ‘aye' for him?" Geist asked
"No," Durbin said.
Not a single Senate Democrat voiced an objection to Gorsuch in 2006, when then-President George W. Bush nominated him to the Colorado-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Eleven years later, Democrats are lining up behind Schumer's call to filibuster Gorsuch's nomination, including Durbin.
Durbin's confirmation that he will join the filibuster appears to contradict his statement last week during the confirmation hearing that Gorsuch deserves "a respectful hearing and a vote."
"The Democrats of the Senate Judiciary Committee will extend to you a courtesy which Senate Republicans denied to Judge [Merrick] Garland: a respectful hearing and a vote," Durbin said to Gorsuch, referring to former President Obama's Supreme Court pick who did not get a hearing.
Liberal groups have been mobilizing against Gorsuch for several weeks, putting pressure on Senate Democrats to oppose his nomination, Politico reported last week.
The People's Defense, a coalition of more than a dozen progressive organizations, is launching the six-figure digital ad campaign on Tuesday. An example of one ad, aimed at Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.), calls President Donald Trump's first Supreme Court nominee "unfit" for the vacancy and urges people to flood Casey's office with phone calls against Gorsuch's nomination.
"Neil Gorsuch's nomination is a top concern for tens of millions of Americans," said Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which is leading the anti-Gorsuch coalition. "After the opening of the hearings today, Senate Democrats should be clear that those Americans are depending on them to not just oppose Neil Gorsuch and the danger he poses, but to filibuster his nomination."
Other progressive groups involved in the campaign include Indivisible, American Federation of Teachers, Center for American Progress Action Fund, CREDO Action, End Citizens United, EveryVoice, MoveOn.org Civic Action, People for the American Way, Planned Parenthood, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Service Employees International Union, and Stand Up America. The umbrella group has been increasingly vocal about their frustration with Senate Democrats, who they say have not fought hard enough against Gorsuch's nomination.
It is unclear what caused Durbin to change his stance on Gorsuch getting a vote in the Senate, although he charged Tuesday on the Senate floor that the judge has backed large corporations over employees and ruled against disabled children in past cases.
Dick Turban is a reliable vote for the anti-Constitutional crowd, and is almost as unhinged as Chuck Schumer. His rationale for just about every political position he takes is based, not on whether AMERICANS may benefit, but how does it help the One New World Order?
Perhaps he had thought Neil Gorsuch to be safely sealed away in a District Court position until Judge Gorsuch should seek to retire. Definitely, Senator Dick never expected he might someday be nominated to the Supreme Court.
It would be remarkable and highly unlikely that Dick Durbin is an honest man. Surely there exists somewhere the documentation of his true nature and actions. Is it too much to hope that someone, somewhere will publish on a site the truth about this man?
You’re not surprised are you? The democrats will never let old fashioned concepts like consistency or integrity or honesty get in the way of achieving their political goals. Never.
SEN. DURBIN: Two personal references to me -- one related to the fact that I had earlier been in a pro-life position in my political life, and it is true. I've stood for election more than 12 times in the House and Senate, general and primary, stating my position as pro-choice.
I cannot believe one of the most qualified judges in our country is being railroaded by the Democrat party. This is totally unacceptable. The leadership of Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin is shameful and lowers ourselves to Banana Republic style politics. These leaders remind me of persons belonging in the "clown car" on a parade route NOT leaders for the United States Senate! Please confirm Judge Gorsuch and stop the partisan political charades. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Gorsuch is not even a conservative. He is a moderate. Yet these leftist puke senators will not vote for him.
To put this in perspective, 90% of Republican senators voted for the extreme left wing lesbians Sotomayer and Kagen.
I wish the GOP had at least half the number of ideologues that the rats do.
Time To go nuclear.
Another member of the Fossil Party suffering from CRS (can’t remember sh!t)
RATS...the real Party of No.
People here may wish to remember that Durbin in a speech from the Senate referred to our troops as “jack booted thugs,,”..,,He is an ambulatory dung heap
The fact Gorsuch is a moderate and people like Dick Turban had no qualms about voting for him the FIRST time around is why Republicans should oppose him now. Replacing Scalia with a Sandra Day O'Connor type judge would move the court to the left.
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