Schumer Must Lose

Only 12 Supreme Court Nominees have been rejected by a vote of the US Senate in our nations entire history. 12. But that doesn’t seem to bother Senator Charles Schumer the New York firebrand liberal who is the minority leader and the leader of the obstructionist wing of the Democratic Party. He is leading a nearly unprecedented attack on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch in what is clearly political payback against the Republicans who refused to take up the nomination of Merrick Garland during Barack Obamas last year in office.

I say nearly unprecedented because we have actually seen this before, in 1986 when the late Ted Kennedy launched a blistering smear attack against Robert Bork. Bork was eventually voted down. However the status quo seemed to return for several years. In fact Elana Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor both far left jurists won approval by wide margins including many Republicans.

Today however behind Chuck Schumers hit job, 20 Democrats are already saying they will be voting no. The pressure will be on Democratic Senators in states won by President Trump in 2016 and that face re-election themselves in 2018 including Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Jon Tester of Montana. They are among the undecided. However some in swing states don’t seem to care and are throwing caution to the wind. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin says she will vote to reject Gorsuch. That is a risky strategy in a state that values it’s gun ownership heritage and embraces hunting as well. Debbie Stabenow in Michigan rarely opposes Schumer on anything and though she is yet to say how she will vote expect her to be a no vote. The same is true of Gary Peters who will likely oppose the nomination.

Others like Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana could be the ones that make the difference when it comes down to the wire. After all Vice President Mike Pence is from the Hoosier State and rejecting a Supreme Court nominee might be the fast track to retirement.

No matter what happens this is one fight the Republicans simply must win. Chuck Schumer must be leveled in this battle. Schumer who now disingenuously is offering to work with the White House of reforming Obamacare simply must be crushed. His smug curling smile must be wiped clean. Americans voted for many things this past November but I am not sure anything is more important in Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana than who lands in the chair left vacant by Antonin Scalia.

This is the first fight where there simply can be no compromise. This is an all in proposition. Mitch McConnell will also be in the hot seat for this one. He promised to deliver and he’d better do that!