The Republican Court-Packing Scheme
As far as Donald Trump is concerned, the sooner the confirmation of his upcoming Supreme Court nominee happens, the better. In his view, putting one more Republican on the Court before Election Day means that, should the election’s outcome be thrown to the Court, he has a better chance of prevailing. In reality, Chief Justice John Roberts has spent his entire professional life in dedication to limiting the right to vote, and a 5-3 Court with him in the majority would reliably deliver a Trump victory. But Trump usually gets the better of reality.
And since Trump’s re-election is really all Trump cares about, I also think his likely nominee will be federal appellate court Judge Barbara Lagoa, a Cuban American from Florida. No other appointee on the short list actually holds some potential, if only theoretical, of flipping a state in Trump’s direction. The evangelicals who’ve rallied behind Amy Coney Barrett as their sister in religious fruitcakery will vote for Trump come what may, but Trump could be swayed by the idea that Lagoa might just bring the nation’s third-largest state into his column. (I don’t actually believe Florida’s vote will turn on this pick, but I do believe that Trump, who’s growing justifiably nervous these days, may believe it.)
As far as Mitch McConnell is concerned, it’s not clear yet when he thinks the best time to hold a confirmation vote will be. Clearly, he’s given both Maine’s Susan Collins and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski a pass so they can oppose voting for the nominee, but he can only afford to issue one more such pass and still get to the magic number of 51, once the vote of Vice President Mike Pence is added to the total.
Colorado’s Cory Gardner has evidently concluded there’s no way he can survive November’s election, so there’s no point in him joining Collins in an effort to win over swing voters. Thus freed from the unbearable pressure of having to act responsibly, Gardner announced yesterday that he’ll vote to confirm whoever Trump nominates. That leaves Mitt Romney as the only remaining Republican question mark, and even if Romney opts to let the presidential election winner determine who will sit on the Court, McConnell still should have his 51 votes.
Read more, including how the Democrats should respond: https://prospect.org/justice/republican-court-packing-scheme/
(American Prospect)
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Because, were about to pack the court!! 
