Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:50 pm
Mitch McConnell’s House of Obstruction Cards came tumbling down today in quick succession right after President Obama announced his nominee to be the highly respected Chief Judge Merrick Garland.
First Senator Mark Kirk (R-ILL) moved to protect himself when he realize following McConnell’s absurd strategy would cost him his seat.
Then eight Senate Republicans stated that they would break with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) by meeting with Obama’s nominee.
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PoliticusUSA’s Jason Easley pointed out:
Compare the stance of the eight Republicans with McConnell’s own quote on not taking a meeting with the nominee, “Well, look, I don’t know how many times we need to keep saying this. The Judiciary Committee has unanimously recommended to me that there be no hearings. I’ve said repeatedly, and I’m now confident my conference agrees, that this decision ought to be made by the next president, whoever is elected. I don’t know the purpose of such a visit. I would not be inclined to take one, myself.â€
A defensive McConnell tried to fall back on a false and cherry picked notion of a “Biden Rule”, in which Republicans pretend that a speech is equal to action and they conveniently cherry pick Biden’s speech to leave out the last part. The Republican Senator said in a statement, “The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominates, whoever that might be.â€
Yeah, the next President. McConnell thinks his party will be making that nomination, so he’s betting on Donald Trump doing a better job nominating a qualified candidate than the actual President, Barack Obama. Donald Trump said today that for foreign policy advisers he would rely on himself because he has said a lot of things. I labeled this “The Ego Doctrine”.
No, I’m not joking. CNN’s Jim Sciutto tweeted,
Trump on his foreign policy team: “I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain & I’ve said a lot of things.”
There is no “precedent” for McConnell’s failed strategy to delegitimize this President.
It sure looks like McConnell’s position is getting a little chilly.
Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) observed wryly, “Republicans are backing down so quickly that they’re already bargaining about what month they will fully cave and confirm Judge Garland. There is no good reason for Republicans to waste any more of the American people’s time. Senator Grassley should do his job and start the confirmation process now.”
“There is no question in my mind that Senator McConnell will back down from his position that the vacancy be filled by the ‘next president.'” Reid predicted. “Senator McConnell will cave and President Obama will fill this vacancy this year.â€
Unlike Mitch McConnell, Harry Reid has shown himself to be a savvy politician and President Obama has left McConnell in the dust so many times it’s a wonder McConnell is still trying the same old clunky tactics. My money is on Reid and Obama.
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