Posted on 03/31/2017 7:54:20 AM PDT by reaganaut1
House Republicans immolated themselves over health care last week, and now Democrats are hoping the Senate GOP will perform its own kamikaze turn over Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. If Republicans blink and tolerate Democratic filibusters of High Court nominees, they should hand over their majority to the Democrats now.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s strategy is transparent: Stage-manage an unprecedented filibuster against Judge Gorsuch, and then portray Republicans as radicals if they change Senate rules to break it. The gambit is to coax at least three of the 52 GOP Senators to cut a deal with Democrats that hands the minority political leverage over President Trump’s judicial nominees.
Mr. Schumer and other Democrats are trying to lure those Republicans into a deal by preaching a false institutionalism that claims to be acting for the good of the Senate. They want to scare the GOP into believing that breaking a filibuster would somehow break the Senate as a deliberative body that requires 60 votes and bipartisan consensus to act.
But the real radical act is a Supreme Court filibuster. Mr. Schumer wants to use the filibuster to defeat Judge Gorsuch outright, or negotiate a deal that gives the judge a confirmation pass of 60 votes in return for a guarantee that GOP Senators won’t break a filibuster on future nominees during the Trump Presidency.
Either result would do great harm to the Senate’s advice and consent role under the Constitution, tilt the Supreme Court to the left, reward the most partisan voices in the Senate on the left and right, further inflame grassroots conservative outrage against political elites, and deal a grievous wound to the Republican Party. Other than that, a great day at the office.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
They lose Goresuch and we have 3.8 years of complete dirt and Trump is chucked out 2020. Easy prediction.
Push the nuke button, Mitch.
That is what UpChuck fears the most.
Just.
Do.
It.
I’m not worried that Gorsuch will be stopped.
The Republicans should go beyond that and act in bad faith. Give Schumer his real, and then break it for the next nominee anyway. I would rather see an empty Supreme Court bench — or one filled with recess appointments — than make any deals with an overbearing @sshole like Schumer.
Sorry. — give Schumer his DEAL.
Worried! I can think of at least three Republican Senators who are shakey.
They sure do but I’m not for sure they know how or just too dumb to do whatever they want to do. They have the power and yet are still afraid of the boogie man. I have nothing for men that have no spines. They really do make me want to throw up on them.
They lose Goresuch and we have 3.8 years of complete dirt and Trump is chucked out 2020. Easy prediction.
Well, I think they need more than 2 Republicans now that 2 Democrats (Heidkamp and Manchin) have said they will vote for Gorsuch.
The GOPe full throated enthusiasm for Gorsuch is more than a little troubling, IMO.
who?
Meh. I just read it. This reads more like satire.
btw- i despise the GOPe but if they fully backed DeVos I can’t see them backing away from Gorsuch...
Any republican who opposed the Nuclear option needs to be primaried and, before that, hounded into hell. I’m talking about absolute chaos at all personal appearances, etc.
I expect mcqueeg and Flake to bolt.
However, the Turtle has been around a very long time and should know how to use the Senate rules ruthlessly. Whether or not he will is an open question. I say comity be damned.
Put Gorsuch on the court.
Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham and that doesn’t include McCain! Any might not be willing to go nuclear.
I'm not sure there are 51 votes there.... I point to the usual suspects like Collins as well as McCain et al.
I might add that I may totally misunderstand the process.
Well, I think they need more than 2 Republicans now that 2 Democrats (Heidkamp and Manchin) have said they will vote for Gorsuch.
How many votes are needed for the rule change? No rat will vote for the rule change.
Fake news from an ass hole who believes his own lies. Gorsuch is going to get 55 votes at least and Mitch will have to go nuke; but it WILL happen bank on it.
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