Another clue that voters not dedicated to either party find the court fight tiresome: While just over half of Democrats and Republicans said the issue is extremely or very important, only around a third of independents said so.
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“We are hopeful that these meetings will be arranged soon so that the senators can hear from the judge directly – an opportunity that we continue to believe the American people should have, as well, through a confirmation hearing”.
He noted Murray’s Democratic colleague, Sen. Mike Crapo said earlier that they opposed Garland because he had not been a strong supporter of gun rights. As Republicans say their refusal to hold confirmation hearings is a matter of principle, I asked my Republican friend Bentley what the principle is.
Democrats say that while every senator should meet with him, meetings are only a “first step” and a hearing is needed.
Republicans have blocked hearings for Garland, preferring to leave the choice to replace the late Antonin Scalia, and potentially tip the ideological balance on the court, to the next president elected in November.
Democrats have been spewing outrage ever since.
Majority Forward, a 501 (c)(4) nonprofit allied with Senate Democratic leaders, announced Thursday it was funding $350,000 worth of digital ads in key political battlegrounds – including the home states of Portman, Ayotte and Toomey – aimed at compelling those vulnerable incumbents to act. “He is also kind and engaging”.When former President George W. Bush nominated now-Chief Justice John Roberts, Murray said at the time, “While I am angry about the mistakes, miscalculations, misrepresentations and misdirected priorities of the Bush administration, this vote is not the place to vent those frustrations”.It really wasn’t. The AP-GfK poll has some data backing that up.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said on the Senate floor last week that he will not bow to pressure from Democrats to consider Garland, a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge.
That possibility has spurred Senate Republicans to block Garland – or any Obama nominee – and insist the next president should choose Scalia’s replacement.
There is quite the backlog when it comes to the lower courts, with 50 judicial nominees awaiting a Senate vote and 85 vacancies nationwide, again according to McClatchy. Almost 9 in 10 Democrats favor confirmation and independents tilt slightly that way, while 69 percent of Republicans favor rejecting him.
Hassan charged that “her decision to refuse to do her job and refuse to support nominations so that the people of New Hampshire could find out more about Judge Garland and could communicate with her and Sen”.
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The Senate race could become the most expensive in state history. McConnell thinks this is helping his people who are up for re-election.
