Well, Mitch McConnell has confirmed what we already knew. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate...inee-to-replace-ginsburg-will-get-senate-vote The most laughable part of his statement is "Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018." Americans voted Democratic for the Senate by significant margins in both of those elections.
Lisa Murkowski said today -- literally a few hours before the news about RBG broke -- that she would not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee before the election. There are two Republicans who I can actually imagine standing on principle here: Murkowski and Romney. I can also imagine Collins going against Trump and McConnell, not because she has any real principles -- she doesn't -- but because she has a sense of self-preservation. Her vote for Kavanaugh is probably the only reason Sara Gideon has a shot at unseating her, and if Maine Democrats and left-leaning independents perceive her as "saving the day" now, that would take a lot of wind out of Gideon's sails. However, that's three. Gotta have a fourth.
Looks like there's a chance Chuck Grassley could be a fourth. He is on record saying he would not recommend holding hearings, and that was just a few months ago, in a discussion about basically this situation (RBG was undergoing chemo at the time). So if he wanted to start weaseling out of any past statements, he probably would have done so then. Source: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...ould-handle-supreme-court-vacancy/5831959002/ However, if he wants to weasel now, he can always say "Well, I said I wouldn't support hearings, but since they happened anyway, all I can do is vote on the merits of what's in front of me."
On the flip side, consider this: There will be a period, beginning November 4 and ending no earlier than November 30 (depending on the outcome of the Senate races and whether various Arizona legal experts are upheld in saying that Mark Kelly would be eligible to be seated then), when Mitch McConnell does not have to give a shit about any electoral consequences for anything. During that period, if he has no more than three defections, he could do more than just confirm a replacement for RBG ... he could whisper in Clarence Thomas' ear that now would be a great time to retire, and he could ram through two 45-year-old right-wing ideologues who will sit on the bench until at least 2050.
Which is what Obama should have done with RBG. Of course, maybe he did. And maybe McConnell will find out there isn't a hell of a lot he can do about it if Thomas says no.
My previous read on Thomas was that he likes being on the court, so he'll probably keep warming that seat and nodding off during hearings until he dies. But he's also a committed ideologue, and I can see the prospect of stepping down to make way for a near-permanent conservative majority appealing to him. Especially if Biden wins and Democrats have a Senate majority.
If that happens, it's only a matter of time before the number of SCOTUS seats change IMO. It might not be under Biden, but it will happen. Remember, in 2022 the deck is just as bad for the GOP on the senate. They will be defending twice as many seats again.
Speaking of which, let's recognize that for all the progressive good Ginsberg did, she refused to step down 2009-14 when she was already an octogenarian and Dems held the Senate and the White House. Careless careerism will and should weigh down her legacy.
I agree absolutely, but I'm not going to be shitting on Ginsberg publicly right now, because people are mourning. But we've far too often see evil win simply because good was stupid. That's gotta stop.
I hated to hear of her passing. I hope it was without suffering or pain. If this had happened after the election, and Trump was a lame duck, I could see and support the calls for waiting on the Biden administration to take over. But, the election hasn't happened. I can't blame Trump for exercising his lawful duties under the Constitution, for once.
You can blame McConnell for allowing a vote when he did not allow one for Merrick Garland when Anthony Scalia died. And Scalia died eight months before RBG. They held the seat open for nearly a year before the election.
Agreed. The Senate is another story. I can't fault the President for nominating someone. But, if the Senate Republicans want to play dirty pool, that's not cool.
SCOTUS confirmations are normally a months-long process. Forcing it through in the next four months (much of which will be a holiday recess) will be an exercise in institutional carelessness, as well as partisan ruthlessness.
She made a mistake. It was a bad idea to stay this long. I am pretty sure that is right now weighing heavily on Thomas. If his ego keeps him in too long he might find himself trying to keep alive until things switch back.
