Scalia died less than a year ago. We were in the middle of a Presidential election year. Republicans simply followed the “Biden Rule” when they delayed consideration of Obama's replacement nominee (Merrick Garland) until after the election. They acted pursuant to a dictum articulated and espoused by Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid - no votes on SCOTUS nominees in a Presidential election year. This hardly gives anyone “cover” to delay a vote on a SCOTUS nominee that a President makes during his FIRST year in office. Get real, ok? If the Democrats even tried that, they would be doing exactly what you admonish the Republicans NOT to do – setting a terrible new precedent that would boomerang against them later.
And you are missing my point on the filibuster. If Democrats were to gain control of the Senate in 2018, then it wouldn't matter whether or not Republicans nuked the filibuster since the Dems wouldn't need it. Bottom line - Republicans can't be “screwed” for nuking the filibuster (on SCOTUS nominees) until 2021 at the earliest, and then only if they lose the White House. Get it now? Again, the whole question is academic because Republicans aren't planning to do it anyway.
By the way, it is far more likely that Republicans will GAIN Senate seats than lose them in the 2018 midterms. Why? Because 23 out of the 33 Senate seats up for re-election are currently held by Democrats, with another 2 held by independents who caucus with the Dems.
Originally Posted by lustylad
Whoa whoa whoa. So you don't think it will happen? Then why did you initial respond to me telling me what's good for the goose is good for the gander? When in the comment you responded to, I said I don't think they will do it.
Also I love how almost every one of your responses has a get it now, you're confused, etc. Like you are teaching me something.
I know Scalia died less than a year ago but the Republicans preventing a hearing on the nominee gave us one of the longest periods with an empty seat on the Court. It also forced the Court to avoid taking certain cases in fear of a party 4-4 vote. So Republicans decided to take when Biden talking about a hypothetical vacancy said the President should not name a nominee until after the election, correct. But then they ignored his statement in the same speech where he pledged to consider a nominee if President consulted with Congress. So seems like they ignored a key part of the "Biden Rule". The whole considering the nominee part. A nominee that they were praising before since he's a moderate. But now they want to get back to doing things they are swore to do. Yeah what's good for the goose is good for the gander though so I'm all for blocking the nominations since it was ok to do it for 11 months. What's another 23 or so.
And I think you are missing the point. If the Democrats win the Senate in 2018, the Republicans want to be able to filibuster. The only way they don't have a need for it is if the Democrats gain a ridiculous amount of seats. They are at 48(including independents), the odds are more likely that after midterms, the Democrats are closer to 52-54. So they won't have the number of seats needed to stop it all together, unless the Republicans nuke the filibuster. Get it now? Again I ask, why are you talking about how it's academic and not going to happen with me when I said in my original post that it's not going to happen?
As for the seats up for grabs, 23 are Democratic seats yes. If you look at the seats up for the taking, the ones held by Democrats were mostly won with over 50% of the vote. While some of the Republicans were won with 49% of the vote. So yeah there is a good chance they win the Senate. Also I would say look at what happened this past election. You normally see the party of a president winning office for the first time getting a bump in Congress. But you didn't really get that this past election. Republicans lost 2 seats in the Senate and some in the House. So with 2018, the Democrats are in a better position than they should be to take control of Congress. You could see a Presidential Referendum in the midterms in 2018. Similar to what happened with the Tea Party when they help the Republicans take Congress. And judging from the rallies this weekend, there is a base to start that push for the midterms.
