Nukes
So now we have to worry about North Korea nukes AND Republican nukes.
One of those arsenals is guided by a chubby immature guy with a weird haircut who is not fully grounded in reality, and the other is guided by Kim Jong-Un.
Democrats have locked in the votes to block Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, meaning Republicans will have to take the extreme step of using the so-called “nuclear option” to blow up Senate rules to confirm him.
Personally, I do not believe that a President elected through Putin deserves a supreme court nomination. But, like their leader, Senate Republicans can dish it out but they sure can’t take it.
This decision should be postponed until the Russia investigations are completed because the SCOTUS may have to decide on Trump’s own fate. Of course they want a Repug in there to give them a majority vote to save his sorry a$$.
1Mz Graham is having the vapors over this; http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/graham-gorsuch-filibuster-end-of-bipartisanship-judges
Can someone remind her of all the judicial nominees of both Clinton and Obama that never got a vote because of Republican’ts?
2According to congressional records, less federal judges got approved by wingnuts last year since I believe they said 1958.
Down the Hatch prick from Utah admitted the Garland fiasco was a political stunt but he doesn’t see the need for Dems to fillibuster such an outstanding wingnut who apparently won’t answer simple questions lobbed at him.
Throughout the first six years of the Obama administration, with a dearth of cooperation in the Senate, the number of judicial vacancies hovered around 90 — the highest number of vacancies ever allowed to remain unfilled for so long. After Republicans captured the Senate majority two years ago, the GOP leadership pledged that it would restore “regular order” to the upper chamber. Instead, despite many promises, there were few expeditious candidate recommendations or swiftly planned nominee hearings and committee votes. The major bottleneck was the Senate floor, because GOP leaders rarely scheduled final debates and votes.
So in 2015, the Senate confirmed just one circuit and 10 district judges; in 2016, it approved only one circuit and eight district jurists before departing to campaign in late September. During the entire 114th Congress, the Senate averaged fewer than one confirmation per month (from LA Times)
3The Repubs fully plan to take over the judicial system much as they have taken over the electoral system through gerrymandering, voter suppression and downright lies.
Dems need to take back at least the Senate in 2018. And any progressive who casts a protest vote because a Dem candidate isn’t pure enough should just sign up to be a Repub because that’s who they’re helping.
4epo, I read about the terribly low number of judgeships approved for That Black President too. What I saw said since 1960. Either way it’s completely pathetic and those whining snacilbupeR apparently have short term memory problems.
5@ Debbo —
Nope, they don’t have short-term memory problems. Their memories are GREAT! The BEST! So long as they’re selective.
Oh, and then there’s their total inability to comprehend how microphones and cameras work. They seem to believe that they can say anything they please and no one will notice, a few weeks or months later, when they 1] proclaim an opposite position and 2] claim they never uttered the first one — “What makes you think I would ever say that???” and “You shouldn’t believe your own lying eyes and ears. Believe me NOW instead.”
6@ charles phillips:
Please see previous comment about politicians who do not understand how cameras and mics work.
Then note Miz Graham’s previous stance on the nuclear option:
“Notably, a topic raised during the meeting between Garland and Graham was the ‘politicization of the judiciary,’ which Graham said was a concern to the veteran judge.
‘He said he hopes that the politics between the parties will not do a lot of damage to the judiciary,’ Graham said. ‘I worry about that. That’s why I think the 60-vote requirements [to confirm Supreme Court nominees] are good because it requires both parties to get a handful of votes.'”
He was just fine with a 60-vote requirement when a Democrat [possibly a “Particular Democrat?” I can’t say for certain] was in the White House. Now, however, not so much.
Please pop over to Twitter and remind Graham that we ARE paying attention to what he is saying WHICHEVER side of his neck it’s coming out of.
7two crows: Great post! The reason we make the Republicans nuke this nomination is that it keeps the Democrats from playing by “gentleman’s rules” in a future knife fight.
8McTurtle already has shown us that he cares less for his responsibilities to the nation as a whole than to the Republican Party. It would be shocking for him to *not* be that way now…
9Is there one person in the Drumpf administration without ties of nepotism or other direct links to insanity? Betsy DeVos has brother Erik of Blackwater criminal fame. Elaine Chao is married to him, yes, that him, Mitch McConnell. Oh, and the Outlaw Jersey Whale is back to team up with Jughead concerning non-existent opioid abuse. Have nary a clue about the Gov Cartman/Jared link; maybe a sop to Joe Manchin via his daughter?
That is the group behind/with Donnie who want to infiltrate the USSC. Even the dullest member of the Senate should be able to connect the dots and cast a nyet vote on Gorsuck. Ya hear me, Dean? (that would be Dean Heller, who slithered from the House to the Senate to embarrass NV.)
10Who’s watching Rachael Maddow? Popcorn anyone?
11If mcTurtle is dumb enough to use the nuke one can hope it comes back and bites him big time after Dems retake the Senate
12“And any progressive who casts a protest vote because a Dem candidate isn’t pure enough should just sign up to be a Repub because that’s who they’re helping.”
agreed. as I understand it, there are three D senators who have announced that they would vote for Gorsuch’s confirmation. these three should be brutally primaried when next they are up for re-election, and tossed out of the party on their pathetic asses. as well, any D member of either the House or Senate, who makes any effort at all, to cooperate with the republican majority, or Strump, should be immediately excommunicated from the party, and thrown to the wolves, literally. let their torn and bloodied parts serve as harsh reminder, to any of them considering deserting their pledge to the party and the people. don’t.
13Gorsuch clerked for two sitting Supreme Court judges. I have run into a number of people who think these two can definitely influence his decisions. Hmmm. There is a definite age gap between Gorsuch and these two guys. If one or both were to die in office or even retire, that would leave Gorsuch totally on his own for decisions. Since he is comparatively young, that would mean logistically his time on the bench would be lengthy. There is always a chance that a future president of liberal bent would appoint liberal leaning successors supported by the necessary liberal vote, but that is a bet best known in horse circles as a “futurity”: a bet on a horse that isn’t even born yet. And a Supreme Court as currently constituted can function. It slapped down one of Gorsuch’s decisions just as he showed up for the hearings by a vote of 8 to zip. However, a unanimous vote record by the court is kinda rare. There are really thorny issues swirling around that need a full court press. But with this guy’s predilection to side with corporations no matter what, Trump – and that is what this is really all about – needs a second flop.
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