To those who say that the McConnell Rule only applies to presidential elections,

[Baitball Blogger]

and not a midterm.

I see the counter response very clearly. It's about the intent. McConnell intended to DENY President Obama's Supreme Court Justice pick a hearing in Congress. WE ARE NOT DENYING Trump's pick a hearing. We are DELAYING It.

Trump can line up all the justices he wants. The Democrats will fulfill their end AFTER the Midterms.

[unblock]

1. Me, I'm for denying it

I don't think we should give then an inch until we get the Supreme Court back to proper balance.

[potone]

3. It will be hard to win that battle.

But I do think that given the extraordinary circumstances of the last election, in which we know that there was foreign interference, and the fact that Trump is under investigation, we have a strong case to make that any nomination should not go forward until we have Mueller's report.

[shraby]

2. If Hillary had won, he planned on denying her the chance to name a supreme court judge.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Our side needs to learn how to play hard because their side plays dirty.

There is no reaching across the aisles anymore. It's like Dems want to save themselves for the old days when Congressmen could settle differences with members of the other party over a game of golf. They want to protect relationships, thinking that they will be able to compromise with Republicans, but Repubs don't play that way, anymore. Their party is a human centipede. Attached to one another in unthinkable ways.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

5. More like a giant intestinal tape worm!

[EffieBlack]

24. True. But folks should have thought about this back in 2010 and 2014

when they were trying to "teach Obama a lesson" and let the Senate shift into Republican hands.

[FBaggins]

6. The counter counter response is even more compelling

They were in the majority then and are in the majority now. We don’t get a say in the timing since we gave up the filibuster.

Absent a filibuster, the majority has a great deal if power in the Senate. They can say “no” to a nominee by voting him down or by denying him a vote at all... or even a hearing.

The minority does not have the option to deny or significantly delay. We certainly lack the ability to say “no”

[Baitball Blogger]

14. We just don't show up and deny them a quorum.

[FBaggins]

17. Can't work - for a number of reasons

1- there are 51 Republicans. They already have a quorum if McCain shows up to be a hero one more time... or if he dies/retires and the gov replaces him.

2- the Senate presumes a quorum unless a member suggests the lack of one. Who would do that? Whoever it is makes 51 even without McCain.

1/2a - combine the two above and imagine the results of a 51st Republican showing up without any Dems. The one gum-up-the-works option we have left is the denial of unanimous consent. Combine a quorum without a dissenting Democrat and dozens of nominees go through at once.

3- There’s no chance that 49 Democrats can avoid arrest by the Capitol Police for four months. Let alone the ones in red states trying to run for office.

4- We would almost certainly lose multiple seats in November. We’re running in too many red states where Trump might not be otherwise popular, but the one thing they love about him is his judges.

[Baitball Blogger]

20. All well reasoned.

Then Mueller has until July 9th to provide a reason for Republicans to join us or help change public opinion.

[rockfordfile]

7. McConnell is a un-American pos that just makes crap as he goes

embarrassing to our country that essentially a crook and traitor is doing this.

[WillowTree]

8. "We are delaying it"........Exactly how do you propose we do that?

[Baitball Blogger]

15. Procedural rules. We deny them a quorum.

[WillowTree]

21. How do you think that would work?

I think maybe you're not that familiar with Senate procedures.

[Baitball Blogger]

22. The way I thought it would work is that they need 51 Senators for a quorum.

McCain is out on medical leave. If the Dems do not show up, they have no quorum.

[WillowTree]

23. A quorum is assumed unless it is called into question.

If no Democrats show up, who's going to suggest the absence of a quorum?

[Baitball Blogger]

25. The world will know what is happening.

It will be wilful ignorance on the Republican's side. Even more important, if this is going to happen anyways, let history know that the Supreme Court Justice was elected without one Democrat in the room. Once Mueller gives us the intel, history will vindicate us.

[Mike Niendorff]

9. 28 USC 1

Expand the court. Period.

Here is the statute that would need to be changed to do this :

-----

28 U.S. Code § 1 - Number of justices; quorum

The Supreme Court of the United States shall consist of a Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices, any six of whom shall constitute a quorum.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 869.)

-----

[FBaggins]

18. When?

We would need the House, Senate and White House to make that work. Then we would have to kill the filibuster for legislation (which might have to get past a 5-4 Supreme Court that would not defer to the Senate this time).

Note that Republicans currently control those things (except a partisan court might let them get away with it).

[pansypoo53219]

10. MUELLER FIRST! no pick for putin!

[Captain Stern]

11. We aren't going to deny, or delay, trump's pick.

Unless we can get a couple of republicans to help us out, we simply don't have the votes to do anything.

[Demsrule86]

12. Yeah ok...we won't be able to delay it.

[spanone]

13. McConnell just made that 'rule' up out of thin air.....so can the democrats

[bdamomma]

16. MCConnell

should get his ass kicked out of the position he is in.

It may be coming since his wife rushed to his defense and said "Leave my husband alone".

[FBaggins]

19. No... we can't

He was the majority leader. The majority can justify their actions with whatever “rule “ they want.

The minority can point out apparent hypocrisy... but can’t do anything about it.

[Turbineguy]

26. The McConnell Rule

applies whichever way he wants. If Mrs. Clinton was the President, we would have to wait at least three years or until a republican was in the White House.

[Baitball Blogger]

28. There is obviously malicious intent on their part.

[Takket]

29. yeah... come on......

let's stop trying to rationalize this like McConnell did anything other than invent nonexistant rules to stop a left leaning judge from getting on the court. With no offense intended to the OP.... does anyone on the left think they are going to come up with a point of logic and McConnell is going to say "well you got me there, I guess I'll pass up this freebie chance to overturn Roe, which I've been waiting my whole life for, because my hypocrisy has been exposed". He doesn't give a shit. Why should he?

[JHB]

27. True, but thanks to Prima Donnie, the presidential election part DOES apply...

He filled his 2020 campaign documents the day after his inauguration, and all of those rallies he holds are campaign rallies.

So it IS presidential election season. Because he insists it is.

Not that McConnel will pay any attention to that, but the point still needs to be made.