“Schumer, who is in his first term as Senate Democratic leader, is in a difficult political position as the Senate considers the nomination of Gorsuch… With five vulnerable Democrats and eight more seats on the verge of being competitive in 2018, Schumer must find a way to satisfy the Democratic base by fighting the nomination without jeopardizing the re-election prospects of a big portion of his caucus who have to run for re-election in states that Trump won.” (WaEx, 2/6/17)

“The question is, do forty Democratic senators want to walk the plank on that fight? … Sure, Chuck Schumer concludes there’s no political price for blocking a Supreme Court justice. But are all of those red state Democrats willing to bet their careers on it?” (National Review, 2/6/17)

“… Schumer and Democrats have to put on a tough show so the liberal base doesn’t view them as rolling over. Already some Democrats have come under criticism for voting for Trump’s cabinet nominees… But while the liberal base is eager to pick a big fight over the court, Democrats acknowledged this week that Trump’s rollout of his nominee went smoothly.” (The Hill, 2/5/17)

“The Democrats, however, should accept reality and give Judge Gorsuch a fair hearing. First off, they’d end up losing a battle to kill his nomination… They will come up short, however, if their ultimate goal is to deny the Trump administration a victory in a Supreme Court nomination.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/5/17)

“All of it puts Schumer in a pretty tight squeeze trying to protect a diminished minority caucus, support the far left and at the same time temper everyone’s expectations of what Democrats can do.” (WaPo, 2/4/17)

“Within the Democratic caucus, a cleavage is emerging between Senate Democrats who are already opposed or likely to oppose to Judge Gorsuch, an appellate court judge in Denver, and those willing to consider his nomination.” (WSJ, 2/3/17)

“Democrats are falling into disarray over President Trump’s Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch, with Senate leaders refusing to meet the acclaimed judge despite a growing parade of support from other party leaders.” (WaEx, 2/3/17)

“President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court has put Senate Democrats in a vise. The dynamics offer no clear end game for Democrats, putting them on defense and Republicans on offense for the first time in Trump’s presidency.” (AP, 2/2/17)