Biden backs anti-abortion Republican for Kentucky judgeship in apparent McConnell deal

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.courier-journal.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.courier-journal.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fmitch-mcconnell%2F2022%2F06%2F29%2Fbiden-backs-anti-abortion-judge-candidate-apparent-mcconnell-deal%2F7767539001%2F

No paywall
https://archive.ph/Unhjq


LOUISVILLE, Ky. — President Biden is poised to nominate a conservative Republican anti-abortion lawyer for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge in Kentucky, a nomination strongly opposed by fellow Democrat and U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville.

The nomination of Chad Meredith appears to be the result of a deal with U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, ostensibly in exchange for the Senate Minority Leader agreeing not to hold up future federal nominations by the Biden White House, according to Yarmuth and other officials who confirmed the pending nomination to The Courier Journal.

Robert Steurer, a spokesman for McConnell, said he would have no comment until Biden makes his nomination.

Meredith also declined to respond to a request for comment, as did a spokeswoman for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat.

The White House also declined to comment, saying "we do not comment on vacancies."

*snip*



Ummmmm....

[tblue37]

1. I doubt McConnell will honor that promise.

[SheltieLover]

11. Of course he won't!

Like making a deal with the devil.

[krawhitham]

44. What other deals has he made and broken with the White House?

[lapucelle]

57. There are no current federal judicial vacancies in Kentucky

https://ballotpedia.org/Current_federal_judicial_vacancies

[dalton99a]

17. He'll have someone else hold up the nominations

"Not me. I'm not doing it. Ask that guy"

[Bettie]

29. Not a chance

in hell he will. McConnell's 'brand' is lying and goalpost moving.

[dalton99a]

2. The Senate Minority Leader is an honorable man who keeps his word

[SledDriver]

22. I think you dropped this

[JanMichael]

3. Ok Lucy. Hold the football for my kick.

[Mossfern]

14. First thing

that came to my mind too!

[questionseverything]

40. Except we are Charlie Brown

[bluestarone]

4. ?????

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS! WTF?

[Beachnutt]

5. Can turtle be trusted to keep his word ?

Better get that in writing Mr President..

[Freddie]

6. Not a good look

Does he REALLY think McConnell will keep up his end of the bargain?

[Shipwack]

7. What the actual fuck? As if McConnell can be trusted... nt

[CentralMass]

8. WTF ? McConnell can not be trusted.

[Caliman73]

9. IF, this is true, not good. McConnell is slimy as hell.

You cannot give him something now, for something down the line. McConnell will not honor the deal, then what is the Administration going to do? "That's not fair, you said..."

Like the frog making the deal with the scorpion to cross the river. McConnell is the scorpion. Don't be surprised when he stings. He's a scorpion, that is what he does.

[ebbie15644]

10. How to totally demoralize your base

In ONE easy step

[dlk]

12. Deal with the devil...

n/t

[tishaLA]

13. Timing couldn't be worse

Even if there's a deal that Mitch will actually honor, doing this five days after Roe was overturned is insane.

[Samrob]

15. WTAF?? Nice way to make Dems feel hopeless. Who in the world would trust any GOP to keep his word?

[aeromanKC]

16. This has Lucy written all over it.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

18. Biden's record over the years makes this not a surprise at all tbh. It's clear what's negotiable.

[demmiblue]

19. JFC... I hope he changes his mind.

[SheltieLover]

20. Is there a way to confirm whether this is true?

[Horse with no Name]

24. This is why we can't have nice things. N/t

[bluestarone]

25. Just had a CRAZY thought.

Suppose Manchin is involved in this somehow? (sounds like something he;d be involved in.

[allnews]

26. WTF!!!!!!

This is so not cool. What could McConnell possibly offer? And why would Biden trust him at all?

[jalan48]

27. LOL-maybe the kind of thing AOC is talking about when it comes to Dem leadership.

[luv2fly]

41. Yeah but when AOC says it people rip on progressives

When Joe says it people just say WTF.

[jalan48]

54. I've noticed that too. Funny thing that we are where we are today after decades of

Centrist leadership but the Progressives are responsible for our problems. Bit of a disconnect there.

[In It to Win It]

28. We can't afford to trade judgeships away

There are no vacancies on this particular court UNLESS someone knows of a vacancy about to come in the near future. 😑

[kimbutgar]

30. Maybe he won't get those 50 votes to be confirmed.

[In It to Win It]

31. Yes, that's what I'm thinking

this is assume McConnell regains control of the Senate

[Blasphemer]

32. It is highly unlikely that he will... which makes one wonder...

What the goal of the deal really is.

[Politicub]

33. I can't even, anymore. I just can't.

Anti-choice judges infest the judiciary, and this clown is going to get a lifetime appointment? After the gutting of Roe?

[Midnight Writer]

34. Schumer should delay confirmation until AFTER McConnell fulfils his end of the deal.

[W_HAMILTON]

35. Never trust a Republican.

I would say fuck them entirely, but if Biden is intent on doing this, nominate him at the very end of his first term and only if Republicans have kept their word about not blocking any other judicial nominees in the mean time (as if they would ever stop doing that).

[Takket]

36. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that deal needs to be CALLED OFF

besides isn't there a filibuster carve out for judgeships????????

[WhiskeyGrinder]

37. Biden certainly ran hard on his ability to work with the other side in a civil manner. This is what

that looks like.

[xocetaceans]

48. Respectfully, this is what ceding ground and defeat look like. n/t

[WhiskeyGrinder]

49. Which is what I was saying, way too subtly.

People projected what they wanted to on those promises, which is always a mistake.

[BannonsLiver]

50. No need to tip toe

It’s been obvious for a while you aren’t a fan. Seems like a lot of extra effort, the kabuki theater.

[gratuitous]

38. Give Chad all the consideration that McConnell gave Garland

No committee hearing, no referral from the committee, no debate on the nomination, no vote.

What's the corrective when McConnell breaks his word? A big bag of nothing? Because that's what happened to McConnell when he railroaded Barrett's nomination through to the Supreme Court. How'd that work out, folks?

If the deal is "I nominate Meredith, you stop obstructing," fine. No hearing on the nominee. No committee referral. No vote. Meredith was nominated, but President Biden has no power to force the Senate majority to do anything. Biden kept his word, now it's time for McConnell to keep his.

[Solly Mack]

39. Well

[dweller]

42. Why can't Joe just wait until November ?

We’re being asked to supply the means to the senate majority, but he doesn’t trust us, but trusts mcturtle ??

disappointed…




✌🏻

[FloridaBlues]

43. There maybe something we or the media doesn't know about in this deal if it's true.

Don’t trust republicans but let’s see if this deal actually happens. Maybe there’s resignations from judges that media not aware of in the near future.

[Totally Tunsie]

45. C'mon, man...

Hope Joe got that agreement in writing. Even so...

[xocetaceans]

46. How does this push the message "Vote for Democrats!"? What the hell is this move supposed to mean?

A lifetime appointment for an anti-abortion, Federalist society judge?

Biden backs anti-abortion Republican for Kentucky judgeship in apparent McConnell deal
Andrew Wolfson and Joe Sonka
Louisville Courier Journal

Published 5:32 p.m. ET June 29, 2022 | Updated 5:40 p.m. ET June 29, 2022

"...
Meredith better fits the profile of nominees of recent Republican presidents rather than Democrats.

He is a longtime member of the Federalist Society, from which President Donald Trump drew nominees for the Supreme Court and other judgeships.

A native of Leitchfield, Kentucky, Meredith graduated from Washington and Lee University and from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was a recipient of the Bert Combs Scholarship.

"Meredith clerked for Judge John M. Rogers on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, then for Judge Amul R. Thapar on the district court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
..."

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/mitch-mcconnell/2022/06/29/biden-backs-anti-abortion-judge-candidate-apparent-mcconnell-deal/7767539001/

What moron (remember Justice Garland?) would believe a deal with Mitch McConnell? Why is the majority party acting weaker than the minority party? WTF is Biden thinking?

It's bad enough that Pelosi and Clyburn declined backing Jessica Cisneros in TX, and, instead backed Henry Cuellar, an anti-choice Democrat who defeated Cisneros narrowly in the primary. Biden's political malpractice in this case has the potential to kill voter turnout - the Democrats with this nomination are proving that they aren't really fighting.

Maybe Biden can rally the voters after this Federalist Society judge is appointed for life by reading a poem. That should encourage people to vote for Democrats.

More than likely, in November, Biden will get to say: "Gee, well, we took a shellacking!" And that will be it for codifying abortion rights in the USA for years to come.

World News
November 3, 201012:59 AM | Updated 12 years ago
Subdued Obama says suffered a voter "shellacking"

By Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland

...

Obama said a readjustment in thinking in response to political setbacks is something every president must face. “Now I’m not recommending to every future president that they take a shellacking like I did last night,” he said wryly. “I’m sure there are easier ways to learn these lessons.”

Republicans picked up at least 60 House seats in the biggest shift in power since Democrats gained 75 House seats in 1948. The election outcome put pressure on Obama to make a mid-course correction as he seeks to reduce the 9.6 percent jobless rate and prepares to seek re-election in 2012.

...

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-elections-obama/subdued-obama-says-suffered-a-voter-shellacking-idUKTRE6A21XF20101103

[Irish_Dem]

47. I have been 100% certain that McConnell has been a busy bee making lots of deals right now.

[Diablo del sol]

51. For fucks sake.

God fucking damn it!

Here is the logical agreement. You get him After you approve twenty others held up AND agree in writing for future nominees.

Fucking Mitch doesn’t approve that deal then he has zero intent of ever approving.

[Scrivener7]

52. Not OK.

[mcar]

53. There are no current vacancies for judges in KY

Link to tweet

?s=20

There are currently no current or future vacancies for judges in Kentucky.

Good job not letting that get in the way of shit stirring though.

Link to tweet

?s=20

In Kentucky there are currently no open judgeships & not likely in the near future. Sounds like he sandbagged Mitch

Link to tweet

?s=20

Unless there is other information, there are no federal judicial vacancies in Kentucky.

[betsuni]

55. Rule: Never give Democrats the benefit of the doubt, assume nefarious both-sides intent

and immediately freak out.

[mcar]

56. It will never change

I've begun to suspect that it's intentional on the part of some.

[demmiblue]

59. Here is your other information:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/06/politics/anti-abortion-judicial-nominee-joe-biden-kentucky/index.html

[lapucelle]

58. There are no current federal vacancies in Kentucky.