The Daily 202: One Republican senator has the power to defeat Trump's Supreme Court nominee

[DonViejo]

The Daily 202: One Republican senator has the power to defeat Trump's Supreme Court nominee

By Rachel Van Dongen
July 2 at 7:56 AM

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins yesterday seemed to lay down a big marker in the Supreme Court fight about to consume Washington. And her comments emphasize just how precarious the hold on the Senate is by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as Democrats seek to gain ground in the midterm elections in November.

Collins said Sunday on CNN's “State of the Union” that she would not support President Trump's nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy if they would outlaw abortion rights by overturning Roe v. Wade.

Here are her exact words: “I would not support a nominee who demonstrated hostility to Roe v. Wade,” Collins said . . . adding that Roe v. Wade established abortion as a “constitutional right.”

The Maine Republican repeated that sentiment on ABC's “This Week,” arguing that any justice seeking to overturn Roe would be acting contrary to the U.S. Constitution and behaving in an unacceptably “activist” fashion. Collins added she shared with Trump at a meeting last week at the White House that she couldn't support some of the 25 names on a conservative list of judges from which Trump says he'll select the nominee — by next Monday, July 9.

Collins added she was assured by Trump that he didn't plan on asking his pick to replace Kennedy their opinion on the case that legalized abortion rights, which many Democrats and abortion rights activists now fear is in danger with Kennedy's departure from the high court. Trump himself said in a Fox News interview with Maria Bartiromo that aired Sunday morning that he wasn't planning on making the ask on abortion.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/07/02/daily-202-one-republican-senator-has-the-power-to-defeat-trump-s-supreme-court-nominee/5b3912a51b326b3348addc38/

[hlthe2b]

1. key word: "DEMONSTRATED hostility". Federalist society has already fully vetted these candidates

and KNOW ahead of time their views. So, all this means is that Trumpistas will pick someone who hasn't ruled on or published opinion on abortion and in hearings will merely refuse to answer to any "issue which could be expected to be brought before the court".


It is meaningless.

[still_one]

2. Collins is spewing bullshit, and she knows it. No SC nominee is going to admit either way whether

they will or will not uphold Roe, and as stupid and inept as this administration is, I doubt highly they will appoint someone who leaves a paper trail indicating such

Her statement is absolutely meaningless

[Squinch]

3. This is Lucy with the football. She will express concern before she rubber-stamps

whoever they tell her to vote for.

She pulls this shit all the time. Either she is dumber than a box of hammers or she's a really talented troll.

[shanny]

4. A) Susan effing Collins? I call BS

B) not if any Democratic Senators vote for the nominee



Collins gets "rolled" all the time*--takes a "principled" stand, gains some window-dressing concessions (like a nominee who will claim to not overturn Roe), votes with her party...and then is disappointed/betrayed/disingenuous when her concessions get her nothing.


*that's generously assuming that she isn't just posturing in the first place