July 25, 2018
The Hill: Dems Struggle On Kavanaugh
As the SCOTUS fight continues, Democrats are facing difficult cross-pressures from their liberal base to #Resist and red-state senators whose constitutents want them to support Judge Kavanaugh, as The Hill reports today:
“Democrats are struggling to find an opening in their fight to sink Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination.”
“They can’t block the nominee on their own, but they’re under intense pressure from liberals to wage a full-scale attack against Kavanaugh as they try to sway the one or two Republicans needed to sink President Trump’s pick and score a major victory heading into the midterm elections.”
“In the roughly two weeks since Kavanaugh was announced as Trump’s pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, Democrats have jumped from abortion and the Affordable Care Act to what his past writings on executive authority could mean for special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.”
“Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) acknowledged that while he believes their tactics are reverberating with the American public, Republican senators are a “smaller audience.’”
“’Well, it’s an unfolding script here,’ he told The Hill. ‘Health care was obvious because it’s timely, but the more we dig into statements made by Judge Kavanaugh, he’s raised a lot of issues. I can’t tell you which one is going to stick at this point.’”
“He added that while it’s a “little early” to determine what could win over Republicans, health care and Kavanaugh’s views on executive authority are ‘two powerful issues.’”
“Still, none of the Democratic attacks have gained much traction with Republicans.”
The divide also remains between red-state Dems and the more progressive wing of the party, as the article went on to note:
“When asked about his colleagues’ unwillingness to meet with Kavanaugh, Manchin blasted the tactic as ‘disrespectful.’ “
“‘That’s something that I would absolutely rail against,’ Manchin said, adding that he thought it was ‘horrible when Mitch McConnell wouldn’t meet and sit down’ with Merrick Garland, former President Obama’s nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. “
“‘That’s not a precedent that should be followed,’ Manchin said.”
This article come on the heels of Sen. Booker’s tirade labeling those who would support Judge Kavanaugh as “complicit” and “evil:”