Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Senate Should Refuse to Confirm Any Obama Nominee

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/431319/antonin-scalia-supreme-court-successor-obama-nomination-senate

6 comments:

  1. Republicans are already showing weakness, including McConnell.

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  2. Tellingly, McConnell chose his words carefully by saying the Senate "should not" vote, rather than saying "will not" vote, leaving the door open.

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  3. Not that I wish to defend McConnell, and I don't know the context, but just going off your quotation: "will not" may simply refer to the fact that McConnell can't predict what will happen. It's not as if he's 100% in control of the Senate. It's like if I said "Christians should not sin," but it doesn't necessarily mean Christians "will not" sin. For example, not that I expect the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings, but technically speaking can't the Senate Judiciary Committee hold hearings even if McConnell disapproves?

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  4. I don't know the answer to your question. My implicature is that McConnell chose not to be a leader by what he is not saying. The Republicans will cave, as they always do. Actually that is giving them too much credit. They _want_ to cave. They want to please Obama.

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    1. It's true that McConnell can't be trusted. We shouldn't merely take him at his word. However, if he backpedals, he runs a grave risk of losing his position as Majority Leader. That's a position he's coveted for years, and only recently attained. At his age, he doesn't have a second act. He was originally in competition for that position, then Bill Frist cut in line, then the Republicans lost control of the Senate. So it's been a long wait. I wouldn't expect him to jeopardize his leadership position. Boehner was dethroned for far less.

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    2. Be careful not to underestimate McConnell's incompetence and perfidity, nor his perverse willingness to gladly pay for the opportunity to politically prostitute himself.

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