Richard Painter: NO new Supreme Court nominations by Trump to replace Justice Kennedy. NONE.

[highplainsdem]

Link to tweet

NO new Supreme Court nominations by Trump to replace Justice Kennedy. NONE. He is in blatant violation of the Constitution and must be impeached. Senate and House Judiciary Committee hearings are way past due. I have had it with appeasement of aspiring dictators.

Link to tweet

Call your reps and senators. Demand House and Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on abuse of power, obstruction of justice and high crimes and misdemeanors by Trump/Pence. NO confirmation hearings on a SCOTUS nominee until we know whether Trump/Pence can stay in office.

[handmade34]

1. we need to listen to Painter

call, write, protest, act, educate...

[lagomorph777]

2. Hear, here!

[DownriverDem]

55. Except

The reps do not vote for Supreme Court nominees. It's for the Senate to decide.

[RVN VET71]

84. True, but they can keep the keep the issue current

and the media's focus sharp.

[FBaggins]

94. They do vote on impeachment

That's what he's calling for.

He's nuts if he thinks he's going to get it... and it's hurting our chances at a Senate seat... but it is what he's calling for.

[BlueJac]

3. K&R from Florida...

[sinkingfeeling]

4. My senators are Trumpists, Cotton and Boozman. My rep is the guy who wants

to cut a $trillion from social programs, Womack. Don't think they'll give a damn about my objections (haven't yet).
You should read the lovely reply I got this morning from Cotton on separating parents and children at the border.

[superpatriotman]

6. Those are the ones who need to hear the most noise!

Don't let 'em rest.

I'm with Maxine

[MarcA]

23. Let them know we won't obey the decisions of the illegitimate USSC

Last edited Wed Jun 27, 2018, 04:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Let them know everyday of their life will be constant resistance.

[Different Drummer]

50. I'm in the same boat.

David Perdue and Johnny Isakson in the Senate; Jody Hice in the House. Trumpists, the lot of them.

[YOHABLO]

79. You must be a fellow Georgia DUer. Yeah Perdue and Isakson are useless .. I have Johnson as rep.

[Different Drummer]

80. Yep, I'm a fellow Georgia DUer. n/t

[mtngirl47]

62. Don't write---CALL. I call Burr, Tillis and Meadows (yes that Meadows) every day.

Every day this administration does something and I call and make my voice heard. They hate getting all those calls. They can ignore emails or set up an automatic reply for that, but they have to answer their phones.

[treestar]

77. Still tell them; lest they get the impression

all of their constituents agree with them.

[True Blue American]

83. I would be interested

In what Cotton said.

The only Senator that will answer me is Brown. Portman and Mike Turner contact me at election time,if at all.

You get an email right away,and a promise to write when he has time, and always get an answer.

[lame54]

5. Pelosi and Schumer - this is a test

[Javaman]

7. me, mr. negative; see nothing but caving with a "deal"

which would mean shit from the grifter in chief.

we are fucked.

[LudwigPastorius]

13. Indeed.

The Senate will remain Republican after November, and they will never remove Trump from office no matter what Mueller's final report says.

Only thing that remains to be seen is just how far the new Court will go in rubber stamping Trump's push toward fascism.

Throw in a war, or a high profile terrorist attack on American soil, and I really do believe we'll see attempts to suspend the remaining parts of our ailing and increasingly ignored Constitution.

[GWC58]

17. The Senate?

I’m still worried about us not taking the House, what with all the shenanigans going on. If we don’t take the House say goodbye to quite a few things. The House is not a done deal!

[onenote]

9. How do they stop Trump from nominating anyone?

For that matter, how do they stop hearings and a vote?

As sympathetic to Painter as I might be, I don't see any value in his howling at the moon demanding things that can't be made to happen.

[Exotica]

25. There is nothing we can do to stop it. We simply MUST

take the Senate back in 2018. Then we can potentially run out the clock until 2020 if Breyer or RBG or Sotomayor (increasingly bad diabetes) die or retire in next 2 years.

If we do hold the Senate by 51-49 or even 52-48 and Manchin, Heitkamp, or Donnelly are amongst that 51 or 52, the pressure will be insane on them to approve Trumps new potential pick post 2018. They all voted for Gorsuch and I assume will vote for Kennedy's replacement.

If Trump somehow wins in 2020 and we have control of the Senate we may have to shut down all nominations until 2024 but there is almost zero chance all 3 above last to 2025, and each of those 3, when gone, make the RW tilt larger anyway even if not replaced. Also, shutting down SCOTUS nominations for a potential 6 years will likely escalate into massive violence from the RW, cheered on by Fascist Trump.

We are entering treacherous waters littered with deadly rocks.

[LudwigPastorius]

31. Yes.

Seems like a lot here don't realize that Trump's nominees cannot be blocked with the current makeup of 51 Republican Senators.

[7962]

34. They can be if 1-2 GOP Senators say "no"

Collins or Myrkowski (sp) could vote no and that would stop whoever it was.

[LudwigPastorius]

39. Collins has voted for all Trump nominees except for DeVoss and Pruitt.

She voted for Gorsuch, and voted for the "nuclear option" that allowed cloture on filibusters with only 51 votes.

She only votes against her party 10% of the time.

Murkowski voted for all Trump nominees except DeVoss.

She also voted for Gorsuch and the nuclear option.

She only votes against her party 6.8% of the time.

I don't like those odds.

[7962]

73. Ugh. Well, its better than nothing. Which I guess is the only other option.

Other than winning the senate.

[Exotica]

49. Manchin, Heitkamp and Donnelly will likely vote for whomever Trump tosses (vomits) up I fear,

just like they did for Gorsuch. It will be right before the elections and their entire strategy for their states (maybe needed as they are in blindingly red country) is to vote with Trump and the Rethugs on some really odious shit.

[onenote]

93. And if that's the difference betwen them getting reelected and Schumer becoming majority leader

and them being defeated and McConnell staying in control of the Senate the next two years, I'll live with their decisions.

Why? Because if they're defeated we have no way of gaining control of the Senate in 2018. If they stay in the Senate and the Democrats are in the majority, Schumer can pull McConnell's and gum up efforts by Trump to appoint right wing judges and, if heaven forbid, we lose one of the liberals on the court (or if Thomas was to give up his seat so Trump could try to appoint someone younger who would serve 30 years), having Schumer as Majority Leader rather than McConnell is essential.

[Exotica]

100. Agreed

Expect many to lose their minds if say Manchin and Donnelly negate 2 Rethug defections (defections I do not see happening).

It is a shitshow and all a huge gamble.

[red dog 1]

38. + 1

[markmyword]

92. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do!

The United States has been a great experiment in Democracy. Like all empires throughout history, they run their course. Unfortunately, I think America has run its course as a Democracy, under a Tump administration. Now with Kennedy retiring from the Supreme Court and the appointment of a right wing, super conservative Republican judge, who will turn back the clocks 100 years or more, we need to rethink our America.
What if we decided as a country to BREAK UP and become several smaller countries? California is thinking of becoming three states. I just read that America is really divided into 11 different regions. The northern states have nothing in common with the rural south or the western states.
Our values are completely different north vs south. We want a Supreme Court that supports abortion rights, gay rights, rights of immigrants , union rights and they don't! Simple as that, they DON'T!
Why can't we separate into different countries, like the European Union? We could keep our currency, but pass laws that reflect our values! I'm tired of fighting Americans, for basic healthcare, social security, gun legislation, gerrymandering, vetoing rights, immigrants, refugees, abortion rights! I'M TIRED of them wanting to go back in time, to when men ruled, women were barefoot and pregnant! These Republicans are forcing their religious values on us, like the TALIBAN!
Yes, BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO, but I'm tired of fighting for basic rights that other countries give their citizens!

[red dog 1]

99. I'm no Constitutional lawyer, but I think what you're proposing would take a

Constitutional Convention called for by at least 38 states, something that is very unlikely to happen.

The European Union is made up of different countries, not different states within a single country.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

105. Will never happen without a war.

There is no means to secede from the union. An amendment would need to be passed to allow it. Its either that or civil war. And war would be the more likely option.

[geardaddy]

8. Agreed

but I'm still not voting for you in the primary.

My vote goes to Tina Smith, an actual DFLer.

[DesertRat]

90. Thank you. nt

[Mr.Bill]

10. Trump could have murdered Justice Kennedy

and the republican Congress wouldn't impeach him.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. No Judicial confirmations in this last year of tRump's Presidency. . . . nt

[LudwigPastorius]

28. Nice sentiment, but how exactly?

[red dog 1]

43. Dream on!

The GOP now controls all three branches of government.

No more checks and balances.

There is NOTHING Senate Democrats can do to block any of Shitler's judicial nominations,
including replacing Kennedy....NOTHING!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

46. More defeatism and lack of imagination. Please no defeatism.

Democrats can slow it down until after November.

Democrats can mount massive protests in key swing Senators states. Snow, Murkowski, etc.

Democrats can pressure McCain, Flake, and others.

Democrats can keep it in the news as a Nov 2018 and 2020 issue.

That's just off the top of my head.

Even simply stating it puts the idea into wobbly voters heads.

No defeatism. Please.

[red dog 1]

51. How, exactly, can "Democrats slow it down until after November"?

(Your other three suggestions aren't bad, imo)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

61. I don't have all the answers and there are lots of smart knowledgeable people in the Party. . . nt

[red dog 1]

74. There ARE "lots of smart knowledgeable people in the Party," but unfortunately, the Democrats

are in the MINORITY in both the House, Senate (and SCOTUS as well)

So, since YOU raised the point, how could Congressional Democrats do anything that might
"Slow Down" anything the Repukes want to do in the House or Senate?

I'd really like to know, because if there IS some way the Dems could "slow it down"..that would be great, wouldn't it?

Meanwhile, instead of merely following Richard Painter's advice to "call GOP senators & try to change their minds"..we, as Democrats, need to UNITE.

Imo, Trump won mainly because the Democratic Party was NOT a united Democratic Party.
There was the "Hillary wing" and there was the "Bernie wing"
Many millions of Bernie Sanders supporters did not vote for HRC in November, 2016
Many of them voted for Jill Stein.
many of them just "gave up" after Hillary defeated Bernie, and won the nomination.

We need to get those Bernie supporters "back in the fold"

We, as Democrats, must UNITE against Eddie Munster, The Turtle, and Shitler himself.
We, as Democrats CAN take back control of both houses of Congress.
But we need all those millions of millennials who supported Bernie to join with those millions of other Democrats who supported Hillary..to UNITE, and together, take back control of Congress....Both Houses!

Republicans can only steal elections that are close.
Obama proved this in 2008 and 2012.

This fall, the mid-term elections can't be "close"..because if they are, then the GOP will steal another election.

We CAN'T let that happen!

You can call me a "defeatist" because I don't agree with Richard Painter.
But you can't call me "defeatist" based on what I've laid out here.

A divided Democratic Party will not do well come November 6th.

A UNITED Democratic Party can and will take back control of both houses of Congress come November 6th.

Does that sound like "defeatism" to you?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

75. That post not defeatism. But when you wrote "NOTHING ... NOTHING", that sure does.

Can't agree more about the need for unity.

Thanks for your post.

[red dog 1]

97. Thanks for the OP

This thread proves that we can differ with one another here and still be polite and respectful of those who we disagree with.

[totodeinhere]

69. There is a fine line between defeatism and realism. n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

71. I see it as a bright line. I'm all for realism.

We may lose and get a hard con justice. That's realism.

But saying it is there is "nothing" that can be done or tried is defeatism because it loses before the battle has begun.

Yes to realism, no to defeatism. Be progressive!

[MichMary]

78. "Checks and Balances"

have nothing to do with party control.

CHECKS AND BALANCES EXAMPLES
Checks and balances operate throughout the U.S. government, as each branch exercises certain powers that can be checked by the powers given to the other two branches.

https://www.history.com/topics/checks-and-balances

[PatrickforO]

12. Just called my Dem US Senator. They are already getting PLENTY

of calls from our base asking him to hold the line on confirming ANY of Trump's nominations. The base of our party is speaking!

Let's wipe that smug, disgusting smile of Mitch McConnell's turtle face!

[chesterslick]

14. They got plenty of calls about going to war for Merrick Garland...

.....yet the didn't!

[LudwigPastorius]

16. The Democrats in the Senate have no power to stop a Trump nominee.

The Senate Republicans changed the rules to ram through the confirmation of Gorsuch.

Now, only 51 votes are needed to force a confirmation vote (used to be 60), so blocking the confirmation by filibuster is now impossible.

I'm afraid, our long, slow slide into fascism is about to accelerate.

[wryter2000]

41. How are we going to hold the line?

If a few Republicans would do the right thing, we'd have a chance, but all of them are complicit and corrupt.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. Illegitimate President from stolen election

No way Trump has any legitimacy

[LeftInTX]

18. Why do I think that contacting Cruz and Cornyn will have no impact on this?

[SunSeeker]

19. THIS. SO THIS.

[Lonestarblue]

20. Former Republican leaders need to lobby McCain, Flake, and Corker.

They have nothing to lose, and the country and our democracy have much to gain if just two of them refuse to confirm any Trump nominee until we know whether his election was legitimate. Otherwise, Trump will just install a loyalist who will vote to allow him to kill democracy and appoint himself as dictator.

[BigmanPigman]

29. That is a good idea..the best one I have

heard or read so far today.

[wryter2000]

44. McCain is near death

We won't be seeing him in the Senate again. Flake and Corker are all talk. They won't do anything.

[red dog 1]

47. Not a bad idea!

Which "former Republican leaders" might want to do what you suggest?

[Lonestarblue]

65. Short list.

I’m thinking both Bush ex-presidents, John Boehner, possibly Bob Dole and Condoleezza Rice. Most people who are still in politics likely would not put their future elections on the line. I wish I. Ould think of more—even getting any of these to weigh in would be a minor miracle.

Maybe a public campaign lobbying McCain, Flake, and Corker would have some impact.

[Upthevibe]

91. Yep.....

I agree...I know very little about Corker...but maybe Flake and McCain (is he in Washington or is he in AZ)?

[MarcA]

21. In the meantime encourage States and Individuals to Disobey

USSC decisions.

[red dog 1]

56. Wouldn't disobedience of SCOTUS decisions likely result in arrests?

Wouldn't even "encouragement" to "disobey SCOTUS decisions" result in possibly being arrested, tried, and possibly convicted of "breaking the law"?

[MarcA]

66. Perhaps, people have been arrested before for standing up for their beliefs.

But if it is the State Government refusing the legitimacy of the rulings,
then Who will do the arresting?

[Seeking Serenity]

106. That's been tried before, y'know

Here in my home state, President Eisenhower sent in the 101st Airborne to enforce the Court's decision in the face of state resistance.

[oasis]

22. Sauce for the gander, y'all.

[PaulX2]

24. Agreed

[NewJeffCT]

26. Didn't McConnell just go around a potential filibuster

with Gorusch?

[LudwigPastorius]

32. The "nuclear option"...

Used to be off limits for Supreme Court nominees, but not anymore.

Once that was used by the GOP for Gorsuch, it ain't going back in the box.

[Captain Stern]

36. That's pretty much it.

donald trump will be selecting the judge that replaces Kennedy. Period.

I think the timing of Kennedy's retirement confirms that he's a conservative. There was absolutely nothing stopping him from waiting six months to retire.

[red dog 1]

59. I agree.

The Orange Ass-clown will be selecting the judge that replaces Kennedy, and it won't take him very long to do it.

[onenote]

104. used to be off limits for all judicial nominees

But it was our side that set the table for that to happen by eliminating the filibuster for all judicial nominees (and other presidential appointments, including cabinet officers) in 2013. Some of us warned that while there would be immediate benefits from doing so, there would be long term harm as well.

Would the republicans have eliminated the filibuster for Trump's nominees, including SCOTUS, in 2017 even if Reid hadn't taken the first step in 2013? Probably. But the distinction is probably lost on the general public.

[shanny]

67. where is that written

we are not talking about reconciliation

[FBaggins]

72. That's a clever idea... unfortunately, the nuclear genie doesn't go back in the bottle

The nuclear option wasn't a "just this once" thing. It was a formal ruling that filibusters do not apply to appointments.

[The Mouth]

64. A lot of us decried using the 'Nuclear Option'

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/democrats-trump-cabinet-senate/513782/

[C_U_L8R]

27. Hello Democrats.

You may want to take some pointers from our friend Mr Painter here.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

30. Pretty big talk for the guy who takes great pride in his work vetting Alito and Roberts.

Hell, he isn't wrong. But I'm not going to center the words of a man who was a Republican until a hot second ago, when he realized he couldn't beat a sitting Democratic senator as a Republican so he's forcing her into a primary.

[geardaddy]

96. This

[H2O Man]

33. Way recommended.

Thank you.

[democrank]

35. Highly recommended

When Painter speaks, I listen.

[elmac]

37. and this from Mr. Toobin, a brilliant legal analyst

Link to tweet

[LudwigPastorius]

42. "But, her emai...."

Fuck. I can't even do that anymore. Hard to crack a joke when you're about to puke.

[elmac]

48. I know the feeling nt

[NewJeffCT]

53. Not only that

but, I would not be surprised to see gay marriage overturned and thrown back to the states.

[elmac]

58. and everyone better protest, take to the streets

“First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.
And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, His involvement in a plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler led to his imprisonment and execution. 1906-1945)

[Captain Stern]

40. Pipe dreams.

Yeah....let's all call our republican Sentators and Representatives (that we didn't vote for last time), and tell them to block Trump's nomination (or we will super-double not vote for them next time).

Bottom line is...they have more guys in the Senate than we do. The republicans in the Senate don't really give a fuck what we think. They will vote for trump's nominee. Our guys will vote against trump's nominee. We'll lose.

[red dog 1]

63. Exactly!

Now get ready to be called a "defeatist" like I just was for posting a similar reply.

[awesomerwb1]

52. More BLAH BLAH BLAH from Richard

Nothing can be done without taking the Senate back which is gonna be a tall order.

[totodeinhere]

70. And by then it will be too late to stop this nomination.

But with at least it could stop him from from filling another vacancy if one occurs in 2019.

[AdamGG]

54. Without 51 seats, isn't this meaningless?

[uponit7771]

60. yes

[Recursion]

89. Entirely. No holds, no filibuster (they tried that with Gorsuch and McConnell change the rules)

That's why we need 51 Senators.

[samnsara]

57. everyone use resist bot.. text RESIST to 50409..send free fax to your state rep..

NO NEW STATE SUPREME CT NOMINATIONS ..until we know there is no Russian influence in trumps decisions.

[democrank]

68. Time for a different playbook.

How about using the Mueller investigation? Why should Trump get to nominate someone for the SCOTUS if he colluded or conspired with Russia?

[onenote]

86. And how would "using" the Mueller investigation work?

There is no way the Democrats alone can stop Trump from nominating someone or prevent that nominee from being confirmed.

That's the case even if Mueller came back with a report finding obstruction of justice etc. tomorrow.

Unless and until Trump is impeached, convicted and removed from office he is president with all of the powers of the presidency.

[red dog 1]

101. + 1

[haydukelives]

81. Democrats will cave

They just don't have the guts.

[onenote]

85. Explain how they would prevent Trump from nominating someone?

Here, I'll answer this for you -- they can't.

And if they can't prevent Trump from nominating someone, they can't prevent that someone from being confirmed if all the Republicans in the Senate vote for that nominee.

[Recursion]

88. The guts to do *what* exactly?

How does a caucus with 49 votes get any say in the timing of the confirmation process?

[Linda Ed]

82. Get your signs ready for not just separation of children but anything you want to protest

Hoping drumpf will have another melt down on Saturday:
628 Protests are Happening Worldwide
This year, there are more than 628 protests planned in every state, as well as in international locations, on June 30. The national organizers behind the Families Belong Together events are the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the ACLU, the Women’s March, and MoveOn.
The Main Protest is in D.C.
The main demonstration is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

https://www.vogue.com/.../families-belong-together-march...

[red dog 1]

95. Welcome to DU!

What is needed is a million people showing up in DC to protest Trump, which won't happen unless it's well-planned.

The 628 protests planned in every state is good, but it won't bother him at all.

[Recursion]

87. What exactly does he want Senate Democrats to do? Hunger strike?

This was decided last November. That's why we kept bringing up the Supreme Court in the runup to last November.

[red dog 1]

102. LOL

I'd love to see Chuck Schumer announce that he's going on a hunger strike.

Although I disagree with Richard Painter's idea, sending hundreds of thousands of faxes to "moderate" Senate Republicans like Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski probably wouldn't do any harm either.

(I know I'm stretching it calling Jeff Flake a "moderate,' but he doesn't like Shitler very much)

[Recursion]

103. I mean, it does no harm to fax them

But Flake and Collins have both said they won't block a nomination. Maybe Murkowski, but there's no particular gain for her to do so.

[Scruffy1]

98. Screw him.

He spent years being a Republican and now were supposed to believe he's changed. Just another opportuinist.