Lets look at what we really know about the supposed Kentucky Judge story

[Ohio Joe]

From EmptyWheel:

There are a bunch of people running around hair on fire right now bitching loudly and often about Biden fail.

Unfortunately much of this is a bunch of reflexive self sabotage by people who aren’t slowing down to take a fucking breath and think things through.

Take a moment and inhale deeply, then exhale. Take a second to relax before the questions after this jump.

~ ~ ~

What would you trade for 30-40 federal judgeships nominated by Biden and approved by the Senate before the end of this congressional term?

Would you trade one judgeship?

https://www.emptywheel.net/2022/06/30/something-stinks-about-kentucky-but-its-a-complex-stink/

As always... Read the story for yourself and be informed. The high points from the story:

1 - This is not a confirmed story... We do not even know if it is real yet as the White House has not confirmed and it (as being reported by the media, not EmptyWheel's analysis) comes from a right wing source.

2 - IF... And again, IF it is true, the deal is for getting up to all (about) 40 vacancies filled with his picks by the end of the year and in return, McConnel gets one pick in Kentucky when it opens.

And look at all of the red state openings:

https://ballotpedia.org/Current_federal_judicial_vacancies

3 - For number 3, I'm going with the last sentence of the article because it says it better then I ever could and still expresses my exact feelings:

Stop letting the right-wing kick our asses. Pull up your big people panties and fight back like you mean it. Make sure you’re aiming at your opposition not your own team.

[samnsara]

1. im not worried about the polls.. i think some youngens have stacked it with...

..dishonest answers to 'prove a point and make themselves heard'...but when it comes right down to it they will quit tantruming and vote the way they know is gonna save their asses

[gratuitous]

2. Rolling the dice on the IF

Would I trade 30-40 judgeships nominated by Biden and approved by the Senate in exchange for McConnell's pet pick to be installed in Kentucky? Certainly sounds like a good deal, but why don't we take a step back behind the proposition? The "would I trade" proposition hinges on whether or not I trust Mitch McConnell to keep his word. IF McConnell gets his judge and then reneges on the deal, what then? We thought Biden would get 30-40 judgeships, and now he's going to get exactly zero appointees, and McConnell gets his judge installed for life.

But it sounded like such a good deal! Who would have ever suspected that Sen. McConnell would be such a double-crossing rat?

[Ohio Joe]

3. Well...

The ones President Biden wants are open now and to be filled by the end of the year... The one McConnel wants does not exist yet. If the deal was to give McConnel his first and hope he follows through, I would agree completely with you but since we would get ours first... I'm not seeing a problem.

[gratuitous]

4. Is that the deal, though?

Is the deal that President Biden gets to fill a bunch of vacancies before nominating Chad Meredith? Because they way I read the article (and I will freely admit that the account I read yesterday - link here to post of Courier-Journal article), it sounded like Biden was all ready to nominate Meredith, and that it would then be up to Sen. McConnell to keep his word, which we both regard as a bad bet.

Also, since my first post in this thread, it occurred to me that McConnell could claim he kept his promise, but gosh darn it if other Republican Senators (Cruz, Rubio, Paul, etc.) didn't gum up the works by putting rotating holds on all of Biden's nominees. Nothing McConnnell could do about that! Still in the Skeptical column, despite the assurances of the usually stellar Marcy Wheeler.

[Ohio Joe]

5. McConnel may have his pick in mind but...

The fact remains, there is no opening in Kentucky right now... It simply does not exist. President Biden wants his picks in by the end of the year so... Yes, that is the deal.

[gratuitous]

6. Then if that's so . . .

Biden should fill as many vacancies as he can, and when McConnell comes calling to get Meredith on the federal bench, Biden should kindly tell him to go pound sand.

[mcar]

7. He is. Sigh

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216871842

[Ohio Joe]

8. I would have zero objections to that...

In fact... I'd cheer it

[Mad_Machine76]

9. Nobody has mentioned too

that the agreement was Biden to nominate the person McConnell wants. If the Democrats hold on to the Senate they can reject the person, correct?

[Ohio Joe]

10. We know McConnel would play dirty...

If the senate backed out after we got what we wanted... Hell, even if President Biden openly backed out... Tough shit Mitch. I'd cheer it

[Midnight Writer]

12. Exactly. Nothing stops Schumer from withholding confirmation until McConnell pays up.

And nothing stops a Democratic Senate from voting on the merits of a candidate.

[Lucinda]

11. According to many folks in KY ... There is no seat to fill n/t

[Ohio Joe]

13. That is correct...

President Biden would get all of his judges before the end of the year and McConnel would get his one, when the seat opens.