People that you've never heard of, people that are in the dark shadows -- US Politics September 2020

Honestly I can't see anything happening before the election just due to the GOP Senate election math at play. The interregnum, hm. Also things looked rather different in general in May 2019 than now.

but how can john roberts save us now?

ok i will worry about things when shit gets really bad but i sure heard the note of doom

Supposedly, according to CNN, McConnell has his rationalization ready to go: in 2016 the executive/senate was split, in 2020 they're not. That's his story.

ok i will worry about things when shit gets really bad but i sure heard the note of doom

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, September 18, 2020 4:57 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

sorry, briefly forgot that things are currently really bad

xp meaning what

Honestly I can't see anything happening before the election just due to the GOP Senate election math at play. The interregnum, hm. Also things looked rather different in general in May 2019 than now.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, September 18, 2020 6:54 PM (five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

if they get a justice through, this straight up might not matter anymore

(xpost) I think it means that he will try to push someone through. It'd take 3 Republican senators to block him (I think, or would that leave a tie?).

Alaska's @lisamurkowski said today she won't confirm a new SCOTUS justice until after the inauguration day. Fair is fair, she says. My colleague @kcgrove will have a story shortly.

— Liz Ruskin (@lruskin) September 18, 2020

I wonder if Collins would announce the same to try to save her seat.

About to post that tweet. Can't imagine Collins acting different in general. Throw in Gardner and McSally alone and there's a lot of 'uhh' about now as much as anything else.

i mean, it would be profoundly, flagrantly, outrageously, baroquely hypocrtical for the republican senators to confirm someone before the election.

i know they are going to do it, but it will be these things.

Who knows, maybe even Honorable Republican Mitt Romney will also say 'nah.'

Not if he's the nominee

ok i will worry about things when shit gets really bad but i sure heard the note of doom

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, September 18, 2020 7:57 PM bookmarkflaglink

Yeah I'm mr "calm the fuck down" guy and i have no soothing words.

Holding out hope that during an evening of sundowning that Trump nominates a live horse

it is a good time for handwringing

_I think more Biden voters will early vote more than the polling indicates or pundits think rather than vote by mail-- they've heard enough post office nightmare stories and they want him out._

That would be my guess too--that those long lines being reported today are filled with Biden voters. Probably not a majority, but a good number ( at least 30%?).

Whether he will be successful or not, I don't know, but I guaranty McConnell will do everything in his power (and everything not in his power) to get this seat.

At least now people will stop believing in law of averages

Every single Democrat needs to go on the record right now and say if Trump fills that seat and they regain power they will pack the court. Idk what else they can do. This is a fucking nightmare.

Need to see Schumer Pelosi et al ASAP promising they will expand the court to 11 if McConnell pushes someone through

Ha xp

Democrats don’t need to do anything right now except repeat McConnell’s words from 2016. They can talk about packing the court after the election.

Xpost Promising that would make US happy, but would it hurt the moderate vote who might see that as EXTREEM

Maybe Kavanaugh will get hit by a train this weekend.

At this point, if you need Chuck fucking Schumer to say something to get you to show up to the polls in November, then I don’t know how to help you get your head on straight.

And Gorsuch will eat a radioactive hotdog

wtf is repeating McConnell’s words from 2016 going to do?

They don’t control the senate.

wtf is doing what you just said going to do? It’s nonsense.

Uh the idea is to either a) provide cover for actually packing the court in the event they get their nominee through, or b) use that threat to dissuade an appointment

Meantime:

News: @SenatorCollins told me earlier this month in Maine that she would not seat a Supreme Court justice in October.

“I think that’s too close, I really do,” she said.

She said she’d also oppose seating a justice in the lame duck if there’s a change in presidents.

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) September 19, 2020

They have no parliamentary leverage. All they have is political positioning.

^unless of course per above they can pull 4 (?) R’s over

a) is unnecessary, b) the threat is already clear enough to the Republicans, they don’t care

now you’re getting somewhere! Pulling a few republican senators over is the only option that might actually work.

Imagine if Biden called McConnell and said, "Listen, mother fucker, you do this and if we win the Senate we expand the Court to 15 members."

Hmm, odd little factor:

"If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, we'll wait to the next election," Lindsey Graham said in 2018.

"Hold the tape," he added.

He is Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. https://t.co/KjUgcw1QWf

— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) September 19, 2020

In that if it is a close race in SC, hm. If it is.

McConnell would laugh in his face and tell him to win the senate first.

Why would providing advance justification for such a controversial move be “unnecessary”? That’s just simple politics.

xp of course he will, so fucking what?

OK dude, you’re right, these people and their staff have unlimited time in the day to commit to meaningless signaling exercises so that people who are already on their side will support them.

Certainly wouldn’t want them to spend that time turning opposition votes that could actually help prevent the worst from happening.

What time are you taking about? You mean like time for the standard messaging which they already spend all their time on? (When not fundraising.)

Not really sure what we’re arguing about.

Anyway one thing I’m more immediately concerned about is that this will give Trump some squeamish R voters back.

New board description.

xp

To the people saying we're fucked we put Trump in a bunker already once this year we can do it again and fucking Hitler him this round

Moreover, ICE must be destroyed

— ICE must be destroyed 🏴 (@Itmechr3) September 19, 2020

Let’s see how energized the Lincoln Project and company are tomorrow now that there’s something weightier than “ew gross Trump” on the table

Yeah the fact that this will bring Rs back into the fold is what’s really worrying here

God this country is so fucking stupid

the way henry kissinger is just. right there

— giabuchi lastrassi (@jaboukie) September 19, 2020

thing I’m more immediately concerned about is that this will give Trump some squeamish R voters back

Couldn't it also retrieve some of the anti-Biden lefty "tHe parTiEs aRE bOtH thE same" crowd? Because, um, no