Can Mitch McConnell Be Stopped?

[Poiuyt]

And if Republicans do give Ginsburg’s seat to some Federalist Society fanatic, Democrats must, if they win back the presidency and the Senate, abolish the filibuster and expand the court, adding two seats to account for both Garland and Ginsburg.

This goes against Joe Biden’s instincts toward bipartisanship and national reconciliation. But if Republicans continue to ruthlessly bend the rules to establish the domination of the minority over the majority, only hardball tactics can restore democratic equilibrium. Republicans will shriek, but their brazen hypocrisy should justify such dramatic moves in the eyes of the public. They’ll be the ones who’ve annihilated whatever legitimacy the court has left.

Graham’s words couldn’t be clearer, nor could those of Senator Chuck Grassley, the former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who blocked Garland. Just last month, Grassley said that he “couldn’t move forward” with a Trump nominee this year because of the 2016 standard. If Republicans force a justice on us, it’s because they believe that standards are for suckers, and people who hold power need not be constrained by any pledge or institutional tradition.

According to Ginsburg’s granddaughter, the justice made a dying wish: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”

It doesn’t matter how exhausted we are, or how difficult the odds. In this hell-spawned year, we can either give up, or give everything we can to stop some of America’s worst men from blotting out the legacy of one of our very best women.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/19/opinion/ruth-bader-ginsburg-death-supreme-court-nomination.html

[FBaggins]

1. Only with the help of some Republicans

And no defections

[Sherman A1]

3. Agreed

and it will be an uphill battle to get to that point.

[Iliyah]

2. republican logic, own the courts all the way to the US SC . .

screw everything else. That logic puts the USA in deep doo doo. At this point in time, our economy which shithole has kept a bandage on is spiraling downward. The dollar is weakening.

Focus on the courts and ignoring what keeps the USA functioning shows the selfishness of these people.

Will shithole shut down the government since the bill is due because all they care about is the courts? I would not put that pass them.

[DIVINEprividence]

4. I don't think Biden should publicly embrace this

Don’t give the GOP any ammunition. Biden should call out their hypocrisy, focus on leveraging 4 moderate Senators to vote no and use this to motivate our fundraising and turnout. Hopefully that will thwartvit but if not, after we win, Biden should just do all of this stuff...expand the court etc. Speak softly and carry a big stick. The number of judges is not fixed in the Constitution. FDR was all set to do it until the Chief Justice backed down and started getting on board with New Deal legislation.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Procedures_Reform_Bill_of_1937

[Poiuyt]

6. They should absolutely wait until after the election

[Bettie]

9. There are not any truly moderate Republicans

Just some who play moderates on TV and then do as they are told when the time comes to vote.

[Celerity]

5. Even if we get to 53 or 54 seats AND have POTUS, I fear there will not be enough Dem votes

to pack the court.

Too many 'institutionalists' who will be loath to start a process that could end up 21 or more justices (if we raise it to 15, then the Rethugs will add 6 more or so the first chance they get)

[Poiuyt]

7. The point of the whole article is that Democrats need to start playing hardball

Republicans have been treating politics as a blood sport since Newt Gingrich. Democrats have to respond in kind or we will continue to be walked all over.

[Celerity]

8. I know, and unfortunately I do not see it happening nt

[Bettie]

10. And we'll hear that we need to "work across the aisle"

and do what Moscow Mitch wants to ensure that at some point they will work with us.

[Celerity]

11. If Biden wins, and then is re-elected but we fail to take back the Senate

during any of his eight years (same thing goes if Harris won in 2024 if Biden doesn't run), Moscow and the Rethugs would never have given his RBG replacement a hearing, even if she had died AFTER he was sworn in. Same for any other SCOTUS vacancy. I think that he may never see a SCOTUS nominee vote allowed again if it is a Dem POTUS and a Rethug Senate. Multiple Rethug Senators have already said, long before RBG passed away, that they would block any Dem SCOTUS nominee for a full 8 year double term if need be, if they are in control of the Senate. Hell, they may extend it downward to all levels of the Federal Judiciary.

Take them at their word.

[Bettie]

12. Yep, that is why I am so

downcast and depressed today.

Give me a couple of days and I'll be better, but this year has been awful and I am afraid that this is my life now, that it won't get better.

My DH keeps saying that we're at the point where we'll go either Star Trek universe or Mad Max. Looks more like Mad Max is winning every freaking day.

I have a D&D game today, even with masks on all day, it will be nice to be someone else in a world where good wins just for a few hours.