“To a large degree Republicans want the courts to be the final arbiter of the major political questions of our time. That way they don’t have to get their hands dirty.”
And then they wonder why we hate them – most of it is because they refuse to do their jobs the way they should. Instead, they are simply LAZY and INDOLENT – and willing to take the criticism that comes with the job. Just like the “old NH hand” that told me when I first became politically active:
Don’t make waves and be quiet. Go along and you’ll get along.
That was in 2006 – he lost his seat and the NH Rs lost big time. Even worse in 2008. My response is today is “Stand up for something or you will be put down”. And as you have seen, I have not taken his advice to heart – what, NOT fight for Principles? The outcome is foreordained every time they take his advice and the Rs decide to be very pale pastel (and then shaft those of bold colors). And in DC, they are about to follow suit on a VERY consequential situation; from Conservative Review, the sad tale of more DC Republicans caving into Obama’s nonsense that that they have to vote on a nominee (mostly on his say so. All puff and no stuff for these spineless wonders self-assured incompetents (reformatted, emphasis mine):
The fight to block Obama from appointing a radical to the Supreme Court will be the GOP’s Waterloo. The outcome of this imbroglio will by itself determine whether there was any value in electing a GOP Senate in 2014 and whether there is any utility in continuing to invest political capital in this fledgling party. Sadly, it appears that the tried and tested capitulation game has already begun.
The playbook is the same every time. Even in the face of less consequential political fights, Republicans start out talking tough. Then, leadership allows the weakest liberal members to begin dissenting from the party line and even trash talking the party to the media. Next, leadership says they have to embark on the legislative process to be fair but still oppose the initiative and will personally fight against it. Then, depending on how many votes it needs to pass, they decide whether to throw in with the liberal Republicans.
It’s gotten old and shopworn. It is the reason why we consider them to be the Jr. Lackeys of the Democrat Welfare State. Junior Democrats. The equivalent of the jokes about the French tanks with multiple gears (w/more in reverse than forward). They fear the media, they fear the Dems – but don’t fear us, their voters. My Manchester Terrier has more gumption and fight than the whole group of those Principleless nitwits. The process continues:
The minute Obama announced his intention to nominate a replacement for Justice Scalia, thereby making the existing liberal advantage on the court complete and irrevocable, Republican leaders had no choice but to categorically oppose it. After all, the party is already hanging by a thread with the base.
But not for Leadership (even with the Cantor – Bratt race still recent in their rear view mirrors)! War chests filled, safe districts, they operate on their own disconnected from the voters as they are convinced they’ve got the patter down even as their actions lie. They know most people aren’t following them and can get away from it OR are convinced “oh, these wise men MUST know more than we do WHY they do this”). But we do – but they still are starting to play Issue Musical Chair / Pass the Hot Potato / Shill game:
Yesterday, the dominos began to fall. While Sens. McConnell, Hatch, and other senior leadership members were still talking tough, liberal Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) announced his support for Obama to put forth a “consensus” nominee. And although Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the Majority Whip, reiterated his desire that the next president fill the vacancy, he said that holding hearings is entirely up to the Judiciary Committee Chairman and scheduling a floor vote is entirely up to McConnell.
Drip, drip, drip – and that Chinese water torture is not meant for Obama but is to get us, their own base, to scream for mercy. We need to be making them scream for their political souls.
These might sound like insignificant chinks in the armor, but remember we are only a few days into this battle and Obama has yet to put forth a name. There is no doubt he will nominate a “consensus” pick. Unlike on the Right, the liberal legal field has a plethora of candidates with high commendations, a successful career, a thin record on the bench, yet the full confidence of Democrats that they will rule our Constitution unconstitutional upon assuming office.
Obama knows how to push the RINO buttons. He will nominate someone who comes highly recommended in the legal field and it will be a big “first.” Perhaps the first transgendered Muslim immigrant to be picked. He knows Republicans are very sensitive to looking like “obstructionists,” especially in the face of such “historic” progress.
At that point, it will become a slow bleed. You will see Sens. Murkowski, Collins, Kirk, and other liberals join with Heller and call for “fair hearings.” (How eerie that just two weeks ago, I called for Sen. Grassley to be replaced because his spot on the Judiciary Committee Chairman is too vital for someone so fickle.) Grassley will undoubtedly cave to pressure and that will get the ball rolling. And once the nominee goes through the meat grinder of confirmation hearings, how can he not get a floor vote? To that end, the weakest members of the committee, beginning with Lindsey Graham, will likely vote the nominee out of committee and onto the floor.
Who in NH wants to bet against me on this: Kelly Ayotte will cave. Maggie “The Red” is already making it a campaign issue and even the Union Leader is doing a paint job on this – as another post said that I read today, the Republicans are not fighting Hillary, they are fighting against the Hillary supporting Media. It will be the same here in NH.
And she will cave. So who wants to take my case of Mtn Dew?
