Kavanaugh Fight Has Red State Dems Ducking for Cover

RealClearPolitics ^ | Sept 12, 2018 | Sally Persons

[centurion316]

Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court has prompted one of the most contentious battles on Capitol Hill since Donald Trump became president. ... Chuck Schumer and the 10 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee threw every punch at Kavanaugh they could muster, not to mention a few knees in the groin. The party’s progressive wing demanded no less -- a failure to engage in this fight would have made them targets from an array of liberal groups and activists.

But Senate Democrats faced another dilemma, too: The prospective justice’s confirmation process is occurring in the heat of a hotly contested midterm election season. Derailing this nomination could compromise the party’s chance at reclaiming a Senate majority in November.

Those hopes depend on Democratic victories in a handful of states -- Indiana, North Dakota, West Virginia, Missouri, Montana, Texas -- that President Trump carried handily in 2016. In those places, Kavanaugh is considered a perfectly respectable choice for the high court. But no Democrat from any of those states sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Actually, no moderate Democrat from any state is on that committee. ...

Further complicating matters, one of those California senators, freshman Kamala Harris, is apparently contemplating a 2020 presidential run. The same is believed to be true of another Judiciary Committee Democrat, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Although both would certainly prefer to be in the majority in 2019, sounding conciliatory toward a conservative judicial nomination is no way to woo donors or build a platform. That means that Sens. Joe Donnelly (Indiana), Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota), Joe Manchin (West Virginia), Claire McCaskill (Missouri), and Jon Tester (Montana) – not to mention Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat challenging Ted Cruz in Texas -- are on their own.

[centurion316]

This is a confused article. The author tries to report on an update on the Kavanaugh confirmation by pointing out that the Democrat strategy is hurting the vulnerable Democrat Senators who are standing for reelection in Red States. However, she really doesn't believe the facts that are apparent. She is a believer in the Blue Wave and she is a believer in the Democrat actions of the Democrat Radicals who sit on the Judiciary Committee.

When the first Democrat announces his/her vote to confirm Kavanaugh, the rest of the rats will jump the Democrat ship as fast as they can find a camera. Everyone knows this except apparently, the clueless Sally Persons.

[Buckeye McFrog]

There is no cover, guys.

Gonna have to cast a Yea or Nay eventually.

[PSUGOP]

I don’t know the writer, nor do I care to. Most “writers” today as so young as to qualify as no-nothings in my book. Status out side that realm has to be earned. The states she lists have nothing to do with the Dems taking the senate....other than Texas. The GOP has the senate. The states she lists are Dems.....many of which could switch to the GOP. They actually have to do with the GOP extending their domination of the senate....potentially to levels which would be bullet proof.

[FlipWilson]

Every article is written from the prism of the “Blue Wave” as if it has already happened.

[Artemis Webb]

In Missouri Claire McCaskill is pretty much screwed. It’s a red stare. To win she has to convince some Republicans to vote for her over Hawley. So far he has thankfully done nothing to help her.

Frankly I believe she’s toast but if she wants to vote for Kavanaugh to prove her implied independence from the party, I’m all for it.

[Hojczyk]

Once they get 50 gop votes the democrats will vote for him..if it is 49 they will vote against him

[Artemis Webb]

You make a good point.

[centurion316]

I’m sure that Claire is sending out a Honey Pot every day to try and catch Hawley. He should be sleeping in a different hotel rather than the hotel where he has registered.

[butlerweave]

Calling in Sick that day ? LOL

[gibsonguy]

“Once they get 50 gop votes the democrats will vote for him..if it is 49 they will vote against him”

Exactly. If Murkowski and Collins flip it will give the Red state Rats cover. None of them will rescue Kavanaugh bank it. it will be a disaster.

[gattaca]

I’m waiting to see how Donnelly votes (Indiana). He up for reelection. He’s always voted along with Dems in everything.

[NutsOnYew]

It’s really not a top-of-mind thing for people on the street

Wrong. The Dems keep trying to reassure themselves that they will be OK in November, but it is just whistling past a graveyard.

[Luke21]

Democrats, Democrats Democrats...always what is right for Democrats. But never looking at what they really stand for.

[Jacquerie]

Good thing the state legislatures no longer appoint senators. Imagine the animal house proceedings.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

“Once they get 50 gop votes the democrats will vote for him..if it is 49 they will vote against him” - Hojczyk

Exactly. If Murkowski and Collins flip it will give the Red state Rats cover. None of them will rescue Kavanaugh bank it. it will be a disaster.

A disaster for whom? Kavenaugh, to be sure - but for the Republicans, or the Democrats? If it’s 49-51, every red-state Democrat senator cast the vote that prevented his/her constituents from having the SCOTUS justice that their constituents voted for.

It would be different if candidate Trump had not put Kavenaugh on the list of people he would consider for SCOTUS. But he did, and that made Trump’s election partly a plebicite on Kavenaugh’s nomination.

Defeating Kavenaugh is a great way to get renominated by Democrats, but if Trump voters heavily outnumber Hillary supporters in your state, the November election might be a real problem.