Posted on 04/03/2017 8:24:55 AM PDT by Olog-hai
“It’s highly, highly unlikely” that Judge Neil Gorsuch will get 60 votes for confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. But over on “Fox News Sunday,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it doesn’t matter: “Yes, we're going to confirm Judge Gorsuch this week,” he told host Chris Wallace.
McConnell said he doesn’t know if he can get eight Democrats to join 52 Republicans in confirming Gorsuch. “There are Democrats who have not yet announced their position,” he noted. (So far, only three Democrats have said they will vote to confirm Gorsuch.) […]
“Look, what I'm telling you is that Judge Gorsuch is going to be confirmed. The way in which that occurs is in the hands of the Democratic minority. And I think during the course of the week, we'll find out exactly how this will end. But it will end with his confirmation.”
McConnell pointed to the Clarence Thomas nomination, “the most controversial Supreme Court nomination in history. He was confirmed for the Supreme Court 52-48. Just for your listeners to know, all it takes to get a filibuster in the Senate is for any one of the 100 senators to say you have to get 60 votes.” …
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Use the Schumer rule.
McConnell is such a weak sister.
Holding breath, fingers crossed that dems go through with it and filibuster Gorsuch!!
A confident, determined MAN would have said,"There's no freekin' way he will not be confirmed!!!" Wussy.
Great, now the republicans will look even stupider when they cave
I think the Dems actually WANT McConnell to invoke the Reid Rule because then they can say to their base there was nothing they could do.
Do not forget about McCain.
Fine, better that than to agree with the Dems to allow a filibuster of the NEXT nominee, the real important one.
WHo was it that actually put this Senate Rule in to the Rules?? My memory tells me that it was always a Majority Vote for Supreme Court Justices, see Clarence Thomas 52-48
I think the Dems actually WANT McConnell to invoke the Reid Rule because then they can say to their base there was nothing they could do.
This. They are the most political of animals even if they are a bit tone-deaf. Trump has to show results - do that, and the rats may lose more power in the mid-term.
I also believe there is another part of the equation that the rats are not taking seriously - Trump loves to campaign and if he shows the results I believe we will see his targeting of vulnerable rats in the mid-term may be pretty effective in states he carried.
There will be two more in President Trumps first term, possibly 3.
The 2/3 vote s meant for legislative matters...not for consent matters.
The only reason to expect anything else is the assumption by the Dems that the Republican's can't come up with 50 votes to repeal the 60 vote requirement for cloture on Supreme Court nominees.
One of the effects of the prolonged argument is to lock the Republican into position on the issue--if the Dem's won't vote cloture on the debate, the Republicans will modify the cloture rule. Simple as that.
The real issue before the Senate at this point is not the Gorsuch nomination but nomination of replacements for Ginsberg and Kennedy, both of which can be foreseen in the next eight or ten months.
The Dems can reasonably expect that if the 60 vote requirement stays in place, the Republican's won't find a nominee that persuades the Senate to revoke the rule prior to the next election.
It’s easy for McConnell to take this position knowing full well
That McCain will betray him. That way, McConell can claim he did everything he could.
Read The Article!!!
Here’s what the man said:
“Look, what I’m telling you is that Judge Gorsuch is going to be confirmed. The way in which that occurs is in the hands of the Democratic minority. And I think during the course of the week, we’ll find out exactly how this will end. But it will end with his confirmation.”
Tell me where there is the least bit of ambiguity in that statement.
I made a recent post of the same idea. Trumps brand/endorsement or whatever you call it will truly be tested.
I believe he has the ability to swing elections with tweets!
I hope the nuclear option does not have to be exercised.
That is exactly what he said.
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