If there is a Supreme Court vacancy, the Turtle's "explanation" will be

[question everything]

as discussed by Smerconish and Nina Totenberg, that the last time a president nominated a candidate during an election year when the Senate was controlled by a different party, was when he was born - 1896.

They discussed how, in 2016, the Turtle threatened any possible defector that he would get someone to primary challenge them.

Now, however, one can hope that some threatened Senators - Gardner, Collins - may not go along.

And, apparently, the elections results will not matter. He will be in a position to send a nomination until January 2021!

What really caught me attention, was that the Supreme Court matters more for conservatives. Meaning, of course, Evangelicals.

I have been worried about the Supreme Court since 1988, when a co-worker, a liberal, said that now she did not mind much, having seen the back of Reagan, I suppose. And I immediately responded - no, it is about the Supreme Court. I think that the Court just passed some ruling that weakened abortion rights.

I know on these pages, every four years, I am warning about this. So for all the ones who stayed home in 2016 because they did not like Hillary, or who planes to do the same..

At the end, they both hoped for long healthy life for all justices..

[Mike 03]

1. The thought of Trump filling another Supreme Court vacancy makes me physically sick.

My only hope is that our Dems are meeting with the best legal minds in the nation pondering ways we can avert a situation i don't even want to discuss.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. The only thing the Dems could do is filibuster the choice...

But that can be done away with if the GOP pushes the nuclear option. Outside that, Dems have no legal authority to do anything. It's within Trump's constitutional right to appoint any replacement if there's a vacancy.

The hope will be that the Democrats can peel off enough Republicans to not allow for it but I doubt they would be able to.

The Dems have to just pray she makes it to December.

[Foolacious]

9. Republicans already used the nuclear option.

That's how they got Gorsuch and then Kavanaugh onto the court. There is no supermajority required for judicial appointments at any level any more.

[AleksS]

6. Especially between Nov. and Jan.

That would be his ultimate f-you to America.

Please RBG, please keep pushing through.

[HotTeaBag]

2. There is no way in hell that if Ginsburg is unable to continue in her post

McConnell will not try to get a Trump appointed nominee* rammed through the Senate before the election.

He knows it will be the last SC judge to be appointed by a Republican any time soon and will do whatever he can to make it happen.

I don't see any incentive for Republican Senators to not go along with it - unless the nominee is particularly egregious - like Jared Kushner or something.


*'suggested' by the Federalist Society.

[AleksS]

7. Not just November. Do you think he wouldn't

Ram someone through right up until Inauguration Day?

[HotTeaBag]

8. Ah, you're absolutely right.

Hadn't even thought of that.

The only thing that would stop him (maybe) is if there is a prohibition in the Senate rules that lame duck Senators can't vote on appointees.

[Jeebo]

10. The new Senate and House will be sworn in on Jan. 3.

I think it's Jan. 3. That's when we have to hold out until. Although if RBG can hold on until Jan. 20, that will be even better. This is, of course, assuming the Democrats win the Senate and White House and hold the House majority.

Listen to us, talking about RBG as if she's at death's door. She might live another ten years. I hope she does. Although, if she does, I hope she'll still go ahead and retire in January and let President Biden appoint her successor. Some judge who's about 35, I hope.

-- Ron

[cojoel]

12. The new Senate comes in with 117th Congress January 3, 2021

It is important that Mitch not be in the new Senate, and barring that, he not be the Majority Leader.

[roamer65]

3. Threat to the turtle:

You ram a SCOTUS pick through and we kill the filibuster and stack the court.

[Trenzalore]

4. He won't even make an excuse

He's dropped all pretense. He is a purely partisan creature and has no ethics. He doesn't even pretend to have them anymore.

[LizBeth]

11. I was yelling SC in 2016 and to the end, every single Sanders supporters didn't care on iota about

losing the SC. I will never forgive or forget. Every one ignored SC. But then, they were all white men so what do they care?