Posted on 04/02/2017 10:06:07 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly announced on Sunday that he will vote for Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court, making him the third Democrat to back the Trump nominee.
“After meeting with Judge Gorsuch, conducting a thorough review of his record, and closely following his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I believe that he is a qualified jurist who will base his decisions on his understanding of the law and is well-respected among his peers,” Donnelly said in a statement.
The moderate Democrat joins West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp as the only members of his party who have so far announced that they plan to vote for Gorsuch.
With the trio of Democrats, Republicans, who have 52 seats in the Senate, will need five more votes to block a planned filibuster of Gorsuch. Eight Democrats and one Independent, Maine Sen. Angus King, have yet to announce whether they will support or oppose Gorsuch, who currently serves as a judge on the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
The Democrats are such drama queens. Who are the 8 who have not announced yet? Are they Red state Democrats who are trying to drag out the inevitable?
Where is the discipline?
From what I hear, Thursday is a key day for all of this.
On Thursday, the Senate is supposed to do the cloture vote, to end debate and proceed to the actual confirmation vote.
If fewer than 60 votes are recorded to end debate, then we have a filibuster.
Then, if Mitch McConnell has his ducks in a row on this, then a motion will be made to change the Senate rules, so that the cloture vote can pass with only a simple majority instead of 60 votes.
And then the clerk will be instructed to call the roll, and a roll call vote on changing Senate rules will occur. If 51 Senators concur, then the vote to end debate will happen, needing only a simple majority, followed by the actual confirmation vote.
And the confirmation vote will be a foregone conclusion. Adding the three Democrats to 52 Republicans, means that Gorsuch will be comfortably confirmed by at least 55-45, if we can get to the vote and past the filibuster stumbling block.
I heard the Senate goes on recess after this week.
Meaning, that if somehow this filibuster stands, and the nuclear option fails, that Gorsuch could be appointed to the Supreme Court as a recess appointment.
A recess appointment would only be in effect through the end of this session of Congress. Gorsuch would still have to be eventually confirmed by the Senate to get the lifetime appointment, otherwise his recess appointment expires.
I wonder if anyone if thinking about this possibility.
Or the three Democrats are a trap, and when the cloture vote fails, and the nuclear option is employed, the three demonrats will be so dismayed by the use of the nuclear option that they will withdraw support, and so will three Republicans.
McTraitor, Collins and Murkowski, I’m guessing.
The rats would be idiots to force the nuclear option.
Trump might have the opportunity to make several more nominations because several other jusges might not make it to 2020.
I expect at least eight rats will vote for Gorsuch in order to preserve their ability to make mischief with future nominations.
Future nominations will be more important because the liberal-conservative balance will really be in play.
Let history be the teacher. Schumer likely has a clue
where all his dimwitted toadies stand. Those who need
a hall pass will be granted one if one can be granted.
It depends how their next individual Senate campaign
might be shaping up at this stage. Did Trump win their
state? How popular are they at home?
In other words if Schumer can run his little game while
allowing certain senators to bolt he will. And, those
senators who get a pass will play up the independence
angle with their constituents. It’s nothing new.
Yeah, but a great argument for term limits.
What's that? The RATS would be idiots to stay on a sinking ship? Yes, I agree.
The requirement of needing 60 votes for a SCOTUS nominee is a modern invention; go back a few years and you don't see that. When was the last time they had a filibuster for the SC? The GOP should invoke the nuclear option without a second thought because the rule only benefits Democrats. Republicans still respect the right of an elected president who's not in lame duck status to have his pick voted on.
Seems elections only have consequences when a progressive gets elected.
Possibly they are from more moderate states so they were given “permission” to vote yes because they’re not going to get to 60 anyway?
On Chris Wallace’ Fox News Sunday, Senator McConnell made it clear that it is up to the Democrats as to whether the cloture rule remains. If a cloture vote become necessary, the Republicans will change the rule.
I think it’s odd that a so many on both sides assume that McConnell can get 50 votes (plus pence) to nuke. Schumer will simply give 7 to vote for cloture who are up for re-election for cover and can still and probably vote no in the end anyway, but how can the turtle get the traitors to vote to nuke the filibuster. Afterall he withheld a vote for Obama’s pick cause he knew at least 2 Rs would vote for cloture last year. Hope it happens but why would the traitors be any different now. Especially their despisememt of trump.
Clarence Thomas was confirmed by a margin of 52-48 votes on July 8, 1991.
The Senate needs needs 60 votes for cloture to avoid a filibuster -- and introduction of the nuclear option. Two Democrats have said that they would vote for cloture but still vote against Gorsuch. He already has more than enough votes to be confirmed. The only way the Democrats can block him is with a filibuster. Should they want to?
No.
Despite Shumer's rhetoric, he doesn't want a filibuster, because if Mitch McConnell applies the Reid Rule and goes nuclear for SC justices, too, that ends any influence that the Democrats might have on any future SC vacancies.
Schumer needs to openly appear to work for a filibuster while actually working behind the scenes to avoid a filibuster to keep McConnell from going nuclear.
Everything Schumer says publicly is a complete pile of BS to appease the moonbats in his own party and the MSM (but I repeat myself).
Yeah, that seems to be the general consensus.
I truly hope they filibuster. I want the filibuster killed. It’s not good for the people. It’s only good for the entrenched powers that be.
It absolutely kills the results of change elections.
Tester, who is up for re-election in Montana, said he’d vote “NO”. At his own peril, I suspect! President Trump carried Montana by 20%.
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