How long before Mcconell and the R's sell us out?
I say the republicans fold before June and agree to hearings.
At the risk of being piled on, and maybe I'm making an error in my strategic analysis, but I think that it's a mistake for R's to immediately come out with a blanket statement that they will not even consider an SC nomination this year.
That's not to say I would want them to do so to capitulate and get us a liberal, but by saying they won't consider
anyone, from an optics point of view, they are painting themselves into a corner. I think they are making an error with their blanket statement. It makes them again look obstructionist. They can consider a nomination without approving it. Then if Obama nominates a Kamala Harris or similar, while they will still take heat for saying "no", I think it would a lesser hit than not considering anyone at all.
Also, when the R's want to get someone nominated in the last year of an R administration, they'll have the "you didn't want that when the shoe was on the other foot" thing hanging over their head. I can certainly see the argument for still saying "no nominations", especially given my Bork example above (so just doing what the dems have set precedent for in the past), but I still think considering a nominee(s), from the optics POV, would make them look a little less partisan, and Obama more partisan when he nominates flaming libs. Certainly this could backfire if he nominates a left-leaning moderate.
