With many a Democrat Senator on the hook and in a tough fight to keep their play-dates in Washington come 2019, Mitch McConnell has decided that the check is due on all the obstruction they engaged in over the past two years. He’s using their burning desire to get home and campaign to get the backlog of Mr. Trump’s Judicial Nominees confirmed.
Thursday’s action left 34 nominees still waiting to be confirmed after getting through the Senate Judiciary Committee, and McConnell’s pledge means he might force the Senate to stay in session to get them all done before Christmas. But his actions this week show he is willing to play rough with the other side. …
Democrats ultimately agreed to the 15-judge deal in order to leave D.C. to return to the campaign trail. But quickly confirming judicial nominees has angered the Democratic base, which is still fuming over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation last week.
If the Election goes badly for Republicans, they’ll get floor votes on all of them before January. If it goes well, they may do it anyway. The point being, there is a bit of motivation or momentum or something, and someone with an (R) after their name is putting it to use.
“Total judges on the floor now 49,” Grassley tweeted Thursday. “Lots of work to do. Senate should stay in session till all 49 judges are confirmed. Work comes before campaigning.”
Don’t get too excited. Many of judges being replaced were probably half-decent. Unlike Liberal judges who feel an ideological compulsion to cling to their robes till they die, the other variety quite often retires to enjoy their remaining years in relative peace. So, a majority of these nominees are not likely replacing bad judges, or worse judges if you prefer. They are, however, keeping the balance at least where it was and that matters. If Mr. Trump can keep the office for two terms and a Senate willing to work with him, he could make some significant improvements on a branch of government that is sorely in need of taming.
I’m not saying that will happen, even on our lifetimes. We need the other branches, and the states to take a more serious approach to Republican Federalism and the limits of the Constitution before generations of Judicial overreach learns a lesson and takes a much needed indefinite vacation.
The courts, not even the Supreme Court, has much motivation to self-regulate on that point. Even a truly Conservative SCOTUS – and I’m not saying we have one of those – is going to hear 100 extra cases a year to send a message to the lower courts to cut the crap. Legislatures and the voters that populate them need to make change happen (and good luck with that), but we can and should take the good we can get when we can get it and do what we can to do better.
After all, these could be Hillary nominees and how awful would that look over the course of the next 20-30 years?
Just another good reason to get out and vote Republican on Nov 6th.
