Posted on 03/20/2015 4:06:22 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
At first blush, it looks like Dick Durbin’s demagoguery did more damage than first thought, but that’s not the real issue. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham [see second update], both strong advocates for comprehensive immigration reform and usually among those looking for compromise and comity in the Senate on presidential nominations, came out foursquare against the confirmation of Loretta Lynch. In fact, McCain went so far as to declare on the Hugh Hewitt Show that “no Republican should vote for her confirmation,” given her support of Barack Obama’s executive amnesty:
JM: Hugh, I know your time is short. Could I just mention one other issue with you very quickly that’s coming up?
HH: Please.
JM: That’s Loretta Lynch. Loretta Lynch has said that the President’s unconstitutional executive orders are “reasonable.” Then if that is the case, no Republican should vote for her confirmation, because she is going to implement what the President himself said 22 times would be unconstitutional actions. And by the way, I also believe that Mitch McConnell is right that we should not even bring it up until we get this human trafficking bill disposed of. Children are being mistreated in the worst possible ways while we dither over a provision in the bill which was long ago settled.
We’re still waiting for the transcript from Graham’s interview with Hugh, who’s suddenly become the go-to guy for big news in the GOP. One could take a pretty cynical view of Graham’s sudden hard-line position on Lynch, as he’s trying to build credibility for a presidential run, and needs to show the base he can be tough. However, Graham has to know that he’s not exactly among the frontrunners anyway, and he just won re-election, so his Senate seat is safe. McCain’s running again in 2016, but he’s won that seat in Arizona handily in the past even when his immigration heterodoxy has annoyed voters in his state. He won in 2010 even after his 2005-6 moderation on presidential appointees in the Bush administration, so a vote for Lynch wouldn’t have curled eyebrows there at all.
So what happened? McCain went out of his way in the interview to bring the subject up. He clearly wanted to be heard on the topic. It may be that the imbroglio with Durbin and the continuing suggestions from Democrats that race had something to do with it has made him angry enough to fight back through Lynch. I think, though, that both Graham and McCain may honestly be angrier about Obama’s executive actions. In other words, this really may be on the level.
And that changes the stakes considerably. Democrats need four Republicans to get Lynch through a confirmation vote. With McCain and Graham bowing out … which five can they find? Susan Collins and Bob Corker, maybe, and perhaps Charles Grassley, since Judiciary voted her out of committee with a positive recommendation. Toss in Richard Shelby, and you’re perhaps at a tie that Joe Biden can break. But it seems like a lot more of a stretch than it was earlier this week, and Dick Durbin may be the reason why.
Update: I’d forgotten that Orrin Hatch said he’d vote for confirmation. I wonder if this will change his mind.
Update: The Graham transcript has been posted on Hugh’s site, but contrary to what we first were told, there doesn’t seem to be any mention of Lynch in that conversation. I’ve changed the headline until we get a clarification on this.
[more to come]
Don’t ya know ,he’s thinking of running for President. Good luck on that, Lindsey.
Something has changed. I’m positive, I heard Lindsay say that ‘yes’, he would vote for her. Maybe Graham wants to be the next Tom Cotton and actually take a stand in our favor.
Blah. blah. blah. Same old story. They talk a good line and then vote the democRAT way.
Bingo...
They are releasing murderers, kidnappers, sex criminals, and drunk drivers into the American populace because their home countries won't take them back?
And they released even more last year?
How the hell is all hell not breaking loose?
This is insane, the apparatchiks and the politicians and judges responsible for this need to go to jail.
START IMMIGRATION REFORM BY CATCHING THESE MF’S AND SENDING THEM BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
Their countries don’t want them back, TOO DAMN BAD.
This is impeachable.
Republicans in Congress have proposed rewriting the law to allow for longer detention of serious criminals, and have called on the Obama administration to use existing powers to deny visas to leaders of countries that refuse to take their citizens back.
But the administration has declined to take those steps.
Those released from custody are generally supposed to be monitored, and Ms. Saldana vowed to stiffen those procedures to try to ensure those that are released are not able to commit new crimes.
The RIGHT WING needs to take matters in hand.
The marxists in DC have now elected to dispatch a LEGION OF ILLEGAL ALIEN MURDERERS, KIDNAPPERS, SEX CRIMINALS, AND DRUNK DRIVERS INTO THE AMERICAN POPULACE.
This cannot stand, these are not your standard illegal aliens, these are HARD CORE FELONS, and their release into the populace undermines the HUSSEIN Administrations narrative that they are going to grant amnesty to garden variety ILLEGAL ALIENS to concentrate on “criminals”
This is a goddamned CPUSA conspiracy, the CPUSA is in control of DHS.
Those responsible must be brought to justice.
The CPUSA controlled HUSSEIN BARAKA ADMINISTRATION wages war against REAL AMERICANS on a daily basis on an unlimited number of fronts.
They time release of damaging information to coincide with other world events in order to deflect attention.
THESE 150,000 MURDERERS, KIDNAPPERS, SEX CRIMINALS, AND DRUNK DRIVERS NEED TO BE HUNTED DOWN LIKE DOGS AND EXPELLED!!!!!!!!!!
Linda wants to run for 2016 POTUS.
We are getting close to 2016 elections, so McCant and Boner are trying to look like they have spines.
The article mentioned Corker as possibly voting for Lynch. Both he and Alexander said earlier this week that they would vote against her confirmation.
Some one must be up for election soon.
Normally those two would roll over for Obama.
Stick to your guns for once in your lives!
You are probably correct. The Pubbies want to look tough, but really still want a [black] racist fascist heading the DOJ.
No Republican or Democrat should vote to confirm Ms. Lynch....she is simply Eric Holder #2 (Yes...folks the Obamabot, Eric Holder that sided with would be cop killer Michael Brown).
Good observation.
Well that leaves McCain out.
Gosh, you think maybe Johnny might be up for reelection?
Don’t worry Johhny and Sissy will change their minds when they can get some payback for voting for her.
She would just be another “tool” in the hands of the Marxist Menace in the White House.
Holder is out taunting the Republicans for keeping in office by not confirming Loretta Lynch. He can still leave and let an acting AG take over. Screw him!
yep... it's all a game... their yes votes are not needed...
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