Now that nine Democrats are willing to give Judge Gorsuch an up-or-down vote, Senator Schumer’s efforts to obstruct his confirmation continues to fall apart.
February 10, 2017
Schumer’s Strategy In Shambles: “Democratic Senators are feeling the squeeze” on Gorsuch
Now that nine Democrats are willing to give Judge Gorsuch an up-or-down vote, Senator Schumer’s efforts to obstruct his confirmation continues to fall apart. Media reports continue to highlight “the squeeze” Senate Democrats are feeling:
Here is the latest on the disorganized Democrat obstruction effort of Judge Gorsuch…
Politico: “Red-state Democrats stuck in the middle on Gorsuch”
“Manchin has strongly signaled he’ll be open to supporting Trump’s nominee, while other key Democrats have said they’ll carefully consider Gorsuch and are now walking a line between their fulminating party and their Republican constituents. … Already, the line between abandoning the small-but-motivated left wing and satisfying Trump supporters is becoming hard to walk for the red-state senators, many of whom received thousands of phone calls in recent weeks about the controversial nomination of Betsy DeVos for Education secretary, whom they all voted against.” (Politico, 2/10/17)
NBC News: “Democrats and their allies have been preparing for an admittedly uphill battle”
“Democrats and their allies have been preparing for an admittedly uphill battle to oppose Gorsuch… The judge may have inspired some goodwill among some Democratic senators he needs for a smooth confirmation.” (NBC News, 2/9/17)
Washington Times: “Swinging and missing, Democrats strike out in fighting Trump”
“In the four hours after President Trump named his outstanding first Supreme Court appointment, Judge Neil Gorsuch, fully nine Senate Democrats pledged that they would not support a filibuster, bringing the White House to within one vote of the 60 votes needed to guarantee confirmation.” (Washington Times, 2/9/17)
Roll Call: “Democrats in a Dilemma Over Trump’s Court Nominee”
“If Democrats have a cohesive strategy, they’re hiding it. On the cusp of dueling multimillion-dollar pressure campaigns to sway the chamber’s votes on Gorsuch, the one hint of consensus among Democrats is rather benign: They are willing to let the confirmation process begin.” (Roll Call, 2/9/17)
Washington Post: “But for Democrats, the question is whether they can stomach the amount of losing they’re in store for.”
“But for Democrats, the question is whether they can stomach the amount of losing they’re in store for. … So what happened to all that bold talk of filibustering Gorsuch and making a stand on the grandest of stages? What about those liberal groups who promised to exact retribution on Democrats who went soft? … Part of it is undoubtedly that reality set in. Democrats have a weak hand in Washington — even weaker than the one Republicans had when they were in the minority and after Democrats partially dismantled the filibuster in 2013. And as I’ve written, an unprecedented Supreme Court filibuster against a clearly qualified and likable nominee would just give Republicans a good excuse to do away with the rest of the filibuster. …” (WaPo, 2/8/17)
TIME: “Democratic Senators are feeling the squeeze”
“President Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court set off a storm of ads, spending and pressure from outside groups, but a few Democratic Senators are feeling the squeeze more. … Ten Democratic Senators are up for re-election in 2018 in states that Trump won. So as lobbying gets under way for and against Gorsuch’s nomination, these lawmakers are in a uniquely uncomfortable position, torn between their base and their home-state voters. … But the stakes are high for those 10 Senators, facing crushing pressure from both sides of the aisle. Filibuster and potentially appear obstructionist and they could lose their Senate seat next year. Vote against a filibuster or appear too soft on the Trump Administration, they could lose support and funding from liberal groups.” (TIME, 2/8/17)
Wall Street Journal: “Senate Democrats are increasingly caught”
“Senate Democrats are increasingly caught between a base that wants them to block Mr. Trump’s agenda at all costs and the potential that Senate Republicans could change the rules of the Senate to confirm Mr. Gorsuch with no Democratic support.” (WSJ, 2/6/17)