Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says that Dems will block Supreme Court nomination...

[Meldread]

42. I disagree, because I do not think there is anything stopping Republicans from...

...utilizing the nuclear option to fill a spot left open by Ginsberg, Kennedy, or Breyer. In fact, if Republicans are going to go nuclear it is going to be there, because that is when they can actually change the ideological balance of the Court. I think it is important to understand that Republicans are not bound by the norms that Democrats bind ourselves up with--this naked power grab with the Supreme Court seat, what has taken place in North Carolina, this is how Republicans play ball. We need to realize that, or we are going to get played hard.

The greatest moral weight that we have in fighting Republicans is now--with the Scalia vacancy. By drawing the line here, and forcing the Republicans to go nuclear on this seat, allows us to come back later even more aggressively. We can make clear that since Republicans have stolen this seat, and thus feel entitled to a certain number of Republicans on the Court, that Democrats should feel equally entitled. Thus, if Republicans go nuclear, when Democrats control the Senate and the Presidency, Democrats will appoint a Democrat for every Republican appointee on the Court--not just those Trump puts forward--but for Roberts, Alito, Thomas, and Kennedy as well. For every Republican appointee, there will be a Democratic appointee. And if Republicans go nuclear, the Democrats will be able to do it with 50 Senators (plus a Democratic VP as a tie breaker).

If we telegraph this now, it won't seem shocking when we actually follow through. It will also hopefully prevent Republicans from going nuclear in the first place, fearing that Democrats will actually be willing to go that aggressive against them. We cannot stop Republicans from going nuclear, but we can promise a strong retaliation.