No one underestimates the importance of this. However, what is happening now is the result of the RATs tin ear wrt the electorate. Thus, it will help us for them to do this for a while. When your enemy is digging himself into a hole give him another shovel.
Do you really think they are helping themselves with this petulant extra-constitutional abuse of the Senate's power to "advise and consent?" This was never planned by the founding fathers when they gave the Senate this vital power.
You may find this thread of interest and the source to it goes to more....
The Constitution in Article II, Section 2, clause 2, reads, He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. The advice and consent on judges of the Supreme court is the issue at hand and provides the wedding of the Senate and the Court, brought about by the XVII Amendment as will be seen in the next week’s article.
The Senate members in all of their supposed wisdom do not understand their duties, much less the entire Constitution. That is painfully obvious when they speak and write. Their duties are advice and consent with nothing more and nothing less. The word advice causes a bit of a problem but the definition of it is to give opinion and on that they fall short of understanding. They think their duty is to dictate to the President what person is sent or who is not sent for consent. The duty they have is part of the balance to protect the Constitution, not an exercise in choosing those with the proper socialist ideology, which they favor.
The Senate, the President, and Judges
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/843984/posts