Total victory is upon us, folks. And some Republicans have managed to get on a path towards redemption with conservatives. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said he wouldn’t block the nominee. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is a ‘no,’ but as we’ve said before—Maine is an oddball state. She gets a pass. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a runner up in the biggest pain in the a** contest among the GOP, did initially say that she’s opposed to filling the Supreme Court vacancy left by Ruth Bade Ginsburg, but is now changing her tune. The last justice passed away last Friday making the 2020 election even more interesting. And now, Murkowski is changing her tune (via Alaska Public Media):
If Democrats were counting on Lisa Murkowski to vote against President Trump’s next nominee to the Supreme Court, they should think again.
Sen. Murkowski said Tuesday she could not rule out that she would vote to confirm a Trump nominee if the Judiciary Committee approves one before the November election.
“I know everybody wants to ask the question, ‘will you confirm the nominee?’” she said outside the Capitol, as her Republican colleagues were gathering for their weekly policy lunch. “We don’t have a nominee yet. You and I don’t know who that is. And so I can’t confirm whether or not I can confirm a nominee when I don’t know who the nominee is.”
Sen. Mitt Romney took a similar position Tuesday, so it looks nearly impossible for Democrats to block Trump from seating his third Supreme Court justice.
ALASKA PUBLIC MEDIA: Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she can’t rule out voting for Trump’s SCOTUS nominee
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) September 23, 2020
The other possible wild cards, Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Cory Gardner (R-CO), all said they’re backing the move to fill the seat.
That’s the ballgame.
And on the Democratic side, there could be a curveball hurled by Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV). Manchin voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, which was one of the most vicious Supreme Court fights in recent memory. This battle will make the Kavanaugh hearings look like Sesame Street. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said that liberals must make Mitch McConnell know he’s “playing with fire” with RBG’s seat. Mitch isn’t afraid of AOC. AOC is not in the Senate; stay in your lane, lady. You don’t get a say. As for Chuck Schumer, well, he’s threatening to use all the things to block this nomination, saying all options are on the table regarding retaliation. Many have come to see this as a court-packing threat. AOC even hurled impeachment threats against Trump and Attorney General William Barr in an effort to gum up the works. Nancy Pelosi has also said similar things (via Fox News):
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday would not rule out impeachment as an option to stop President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court pick from being confirmed to the bench, saying Democrats will “use every arrow in our quiver” to block the eventual nominee.
Again, these clowns can rant. They can whine. They can say the vilest, nastiest things against us. But when they’re done. We’re going to fill this vacancy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said they have the votes to get this out of committee. Mitch McConnell said there will be a floor vote. Romney is onboard. Murkowski is now a maybe. There are no loose ends. We have the votes and we’re going to get this done and there is nothing they can do to stop Trump from filling this seat. The Washington Post aptly noted that Democrats are pretty much “powerless” to stop this train:
Senate Democrats and their liberal allies confronted the grim reality Monday that they have no path to blocking President Trump’s pending Supreme Court nomination other than a political pressure campaign that peels away a minimum of four GOP votes.
Deep into their sixth year in the minority, Democrats can use some procedural tactics that might briefly slow the confirmation process, but if at least 50 Republicans approve of Trump’s pick to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that nominee is certain to be seated.
[…]
“We’re in a situation where Mitch McConnell is the only person in this building that can decide when and whether and how to move the nomination forward. My hope is that there will be enough Republicans to stop it, but I don’t think the likelihood of that is high,” Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.) said.
Elections have consequences. We won. You lost, so prepared to be owned again.
Also, this will certainly help Senate Republicans running for re-election. Nothing unites the base more than a SCOTUS fight.
Oh, and please, Democrats, impeach Trump for doing his duty in appointing judges to fill a vacancy. I can’t wait to see how that quickly blows up in your face.
Do it! Please!
I double-dog dare you.