As the moment of truth draws near, we beg the indulgence of readers to let us, one more time, suggest how the process for confirmation of Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court is likely to go down.
The Democratic caucus in the Senate has declared that it will filibuster Gorsuch’s nomination. This is deemed to insure that Senate Republicans will be forced to change Senate rules to require only a simple majority for confirmation. Led by Mitch McConnell the conventional wisdom has it, the Republican-controlled Senate will do so, claiming full justification because the Democrats, when in the majority and led by the alleged punch-drunk Harry Reid changed the rules to eliminate the filibuster, thus permitting Obama’s federal judge nominees below SCOTUS to be confirmed by a simple majority.
Pretty straightforward, right? Completely justified, the GOP will go ahead with the rule change according to the precedent set by the Democrats themselves.
Really? Come on now…this is the Republican leadership we’re talking about.
Fearful of the Beltway press, primarily concerned with staying in office, risk averse to any criticism by political pundits, beholden to the establishment fat cats, you really think that Mitch McConnell won’t want to “preserve the sanctity of the world’s greatest deliberative body”, to restore the Senate’s hallowed “regular order”, to be perceived by donors and Democrats, and media as willing to reach out and to compromise and to work in a bi-partisan fashion, blah, blah, and blah?
Here’s what we expect is going to go down this week regarding Judge Gorsuch’s confirmation:
Think of Mitch as the world’s worst poker player. The game is 7 card stud. Mitch is showing 2 aces and 2 jacks up (with the 3rd and 4th ace in the hole). Schumer has a pair of treys and just 2 cards of the same suit up.
Mitch cautiously bets a small portion of his holdings; Schumer sees and raises ‘all-in’.
Mitch, convincing himself that Shumer has hit a straight flush and fearful of being seen as a foolhardy player does what Mitch does…he folds.
Now are we suggesting that Senate Majority Leader McConnell will ultimately fold in the face of the threatened Democrat filibuster, and not detonate the “nuclear option”?
No, not exactly. We believe Mitch will do what he and the current GOP establishment always do.
Fearful that he holds a bad hand (just 4 aces), we foresee Mitch “reaching out” to the opposition party’s leader to seek “compromise”.
We think we’ll see an enactment of the “Art of the Bad Deal”.
In return for calling off the filibuster and permitting the Gorsuch confirmation, Schumer will demand, and be granted, 1) Nominees for any future SCOTUS vacancies must be ideologically acceptable to the Democrats, 2) all of Trump’s proposed spending cuts are “off the table”, and, 3) Any increases in Pentagon spending must be matched by increases in entitlement spending.
There likely will be no public disclosure of the deal until at a later time.
Good job, Mitch! DLH
The institution (the filibuster) has been cover for much. Should it be actually eliminated it will help bring the transparency every politician praises but tries to avoid exercising. It would not surprise me that the RINOs are part of any tacit agreement not to change the ideological complexion of the court with future nominations. Politicians have hid behind the courts for too long, permitting the court dictatorship while avoiding responsibility themselves.