Neil Gorsuch Confirmation Process Discussion (confirmed 54-45)

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Looking at that list, it reads like 57-43 to me, with Manchin, Tester, King, Donnelly, and Heitkamp going for cloture. Followed five minutes later by the nuclear option.

add Warner, Bennett, and Coons, and that's 60.

A) I think its more 56-44 I don't see King going over heck I can see Tester as well also B) Warner, Bennett, and Coons are not likely yes

They may not vote for him, but they will support allowing a vote and save the filibuster for another day.

Except on Politico it says (well more than says, it has up a video of Coons actually saying it) that Coons thinks there is not 60 votes, and the "tragedy" of the nuke button being successfully pushed is "almost a certainty."  So Coons has trouble getting to the number 60.

Schmuckey better cut a deal with McConnell because the next guy isn't going to be anywhere near as milk-toast as Gorsuch, and if McConnell pushes the button then, the Dems are truly screwed.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Looking at that list, it reads like 57-43 to me, with Manchin, Tester, King, Donnelly, and Heitkamp going for cloture. Followed five minutes later by the nuclear option.

add Warner, Bennett, and Coons, and that's 60.

A) I think its more 56-44 I don't see King going over heck I can see Tester as well also B) Warner, Bennett, and Coons are not likely yes

They may not vote for him, but they will support allowing a vote and save the filibuster for another day.

Except on Politico it says (well more than says, it has up a video of Coons actually saying it) that Coons thinks there is not 60 votes, and the "tragedy" of the nuke button being successfully pushed is "almost a certainty."  So Coons has trouble getting to the number 60.

Schmuckey better cut a deal with McConnell because the next guy isn't going to be anywhere near as milk-toast as Gorsuch, and if McConnell pushes the button then, the Dems are truly screwed.

There is no guarantee Trump gets a next guy an if he does it might be replacing a consertive justice so go for it

Agreed, no guarantee but at 84 for Ginsburg it's reasonable to suggest she may be next.  Kennedy is no spring chicken either.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Looking at that list, it reads like 57-43 to me, with Manchin, Tester, King, Donnelly, and Heitkamp going for cloture. Followed five minutes later by the nuclear option.

add Warner, Bennett, and Coons, and that's 60.

A) I think its more 56-44 I don't see King going over heck I can see Tester as well also B) Warner, Bennett, and Coons are not likely yes

They may not vote for him, but they will support allowing a vote and save the filibuster for another day.

Except on Politico it says (well more than says, it has up a video of Coons actually saying it) that Coons thinks there is not 60 votes, and the "tragedy" of the nuke button being successfully pushed is "almost a certainty."  So Coons has trouble getting to the number 60.

Schmuckey better cut a deal with McConnell because the next guy isn't going to be anywhere near as milk-toast as Gorsuch, and if McConnell pushes the button then, the Dems are truly screwed.

There is no guarantee Trump gets a next guy an if he does it might be replacing a consertive justice so go for it

Agreed, no guarantee but at 84 for Ginsburg it's reasonable to suggest she may be next.  Kennedy is no spring chicken either.

That generation is still holding on so I wouldn't beat on it an Kennedy is replacing rw with rw

There are degrees of right wing (if that's what rw stands for), and the future options for SCOTUS will make Gorsuch look like a gift.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

And the 3 stooges are inviting the nuclear option -

Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Senator Richard Blumenthal hold a news conference to discuss what they call "dark money" funding to support President Donald J. Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

     I wonder if Schumer is trolling there. Any nominee would get this kind of treatment.

schumer is giving his base what it wants (after merrick-gate there was nothing to be done about that....the democrats are never going to forget this act imho) and i guess he suspects anyway that the filibuster is a thing of the past.

     I certainly understand why Schumer is doing this, which is what makes it strange to me. It is clear that his stonewalling is retaliation for Merrick Garland and not an actual criticism of Gorsuch's qualifications. Considering that, Trump proposing a different nominee wouldn't change anything.

Right.  But if Trump had to nominate a new justice the new guy would make Scalia look like Ginsburg (forcing the nuke button).  They should be doing backflips down the hallway that Gorsuch is the guy.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Right.  But if Trump had to nominate a new justice the new guy would make Scalia look like Ginsburg (forcing the nuke button).  They should be doing backflips down the hallway that Gorsuch is the guy.

what makes you think, trump is the type who would go for ideological vengeance when he has the alternative of making a deal?

won't happyn anyway but i am pretty sure, trump would love a deal with democrats on healthcare now.

Trump's too unpredictable and revenge isn't off the table, ever.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Err...Gorsuch does make Scalia look like Ginsberg.

Lol

Yeah that was my thought, to be honest.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

If a few more come around this might not be necessary:

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

tbh non-talking filibusters should be abolished for everything.

Amen

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Question for you guys:  The filibuster for SC nominations is now obviously going to die - will Repubs move for the filibuster to be dead for all legislation too, though?  Your best educated guesses?

McConnell has said no.........we'll see

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Schmucky is speaking on the Senate floor regarding Gorsuch.  Watch it for the lols.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

And will all of the Republicans vote to go nuclear?

With the guarantees from McConnell and most recently, Grassley, I'd say they've literally whipped every one of them into favoring a nuke.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

But, for Garland, well, I don't pretend to be hide my feelings about that. I'm not supportive of the idea of letting Republicans freely block the rightful nomination of a Democratic president just so they can fill the seat with a young conservative like Gorsuch. This isn't purely about qualifications, and it hasn't been for a long time or they would have been just fine with Garland.

First, I agree Garland should not have been blocked.  I disagree with the bolded assessment of this. The pubs took a major risk blocking him.  At the time they did that I'll bet not one really thought Trump would win, so they were taking a major gamble.  Hillary could have easily put someone in far more horrible.  It was a gamble, a stupid gamble, that paid off, remarkably. 

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

McConnell isn't going to let any procedural nonsense prevent him from pushing the button.  Reid never did.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Awesome. Just hope Gorsuch is worth it.

if it was solely about Gorsuch he'd have well over 60 votes  to end debate and confirm him.  This is f[inks] Trump and the Pubs.  This isn't even about Garland, the person.  If Hillary was elected they wouldn't even care if she didn't re-submit Garland's name.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Awesome. Just hope Gorsuch is worth it.

if it was solely about Gorsuch he'd have well over 60 votes  to end debate and confirm him.  This is f[inks] Trump and the Pubs.  This isn't even about Garland, the person.  If Hillary was elected they wouldn't even care if she didn't re-submit Garland's name.

     Yeah, this was never about the people involved. The intellectual dishonesty of Schumer suggesting that it was disppointed me a little, but was not surprising. I would have had more respect if he could have just come out and maintained that they would be obstructing Gorsuch's nomination in protest over the obstruction of Garland's nomination.

Yeah it's laughably insulting every time that putz goes in front of a microphone claiming this is some ideological battle.  LOL.  I'd have more respect if he just said F*** YOU TRUMP.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Hot Take:

The filibuster is stupid and I'm glad it's dead.

If the Dems win control of the Senate they should kill it for legislation as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHQLQ1Rc_Js

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

51 ayes, Gorsuch is confirmed

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

If the Courts want to be treated differently, they should stop being so political.

Justice Gorsuch agrees.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Pence presiding was interesting.  It must have been for ceremony only.  There wasn't going to be a tie.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

A great day!

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

is there an usual average time between the confirmation of a republican SC justice and the time he is called a RINO sellout?

i think 2 years would be a good period of time.

Anthony Kennedy
1992-1987 = 5 years

David Souter
1992-1990 = 2 years

John Roberts
2012 - 2005 = 7 years

It varies based on when the "big case" comes up that makes them a sellout.

Souter was more easily readable, for sure.