Hey, NYT, I believe that “hyper-partisanship” was started by the Democrats in the 1980s with a certain Robert Bork. When I look at Justice Kennedy I think of the opportunity the Democrats “stole” from us. Then not even that many years later, they tried it again with Clarence Thomas, who barely squeaked by in his confirmation.
If you dislike the Court being politicized, take it up with the Dems. McConnell was working within the politicized framework that the Dems created. And this move was the highlight of his career. If the Dems didn’t want him to have this power, they should have worked harder to win the Senate during the mid-terms.
That “hyper-partisanship” has been around since Burr shot Hamilton.