Sandoval withdraws his name from consideration:

[femmocrat]

Breaking now on MSNBC.

ALSO: http://www.bustle.com/articles/144205-gov-brian-sandoval-withdraws-name-from-supreme-court-consideration-report

[thereismore]

1. Good. We want a liberal Justice from a liberal President. nt

[femmocrat]

2. I thought it was a trial balloon.

Yes, I too would prefer a "true progressive," to quote Hillary.

[LonePirate]

5. He was never going to be nominated by our current liberal president.

[ananda]

15. What liberal president?

Obama governs from the center-right.

[LonePirate]

19. Obama is a liberal. Bill Clinton was a center-right president.

Obama may not be as liberal or as progressive as Bernie; but that does not mean Obama is a centrist. Center-right politicians do not raise taxes on the wealthy like Obama did.

[ananda]

22. Ermm...

I think Obama is even a bit more center-right than Clinton.

Both are not good, though.

I guess it's all the incrementalism that's led us to this sorry
path down free trade, endless war, and corporatism.

Clinton destroyed Fairness in Media, and Obama just took
Bush's economic and foreign policy playbook and ran with it,
while going slightly to the left of Bush socially.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

13. Amazing how DU can't see that this was a trick pony to see where Republicans were at.

I had every confidence that the president was never ACTUALLY going to put Sandoval up.

He's fucking with the Republicans, but DUers are too busy bashing the president to see what's happening. Even Faux News caught on.

[thereismore]

14. Good for you, I fell for it. nt

[Spazito]

16. Well said!

I thought it would be obvious to everyone, it seems I was wrong.

[catrose]

3. Thank DOG

I was really afraid that of that "compromise."

[djean111]

4. Gee, I thought we were overreacting to a rumor. n/t

[LannyDeVaney]

6. You were

A leak on a possible vetting != nomination.

Folks seem to actually enjoy assuming the worst throughout the day. I'm not sure why.

[djean111]

7. If he withdrew his name, it was not a rumor, seems to me. No one thought there was an actual

nomination, I think, too soon, but it looked like he was being vetted and there was a trial balloon. Best to speak up now, really.
And here in the US - best to assume the worst and get surprised by not too awful.

Just want to add - the next SCOTUS pick is being used as a yuuuuuge boogeyman these days - of course we are paying attention and taking it seriously. That eventual pick will affect all of us.

[floriduck]

9. Maybe because retiring minority leader and

Clinton endorser, Harry Reid, recommended a Republican as a SCOTUS justice. Just a thought. . .

[Wellstone ruled]

8. Another Harry Reid

flying turd balloon.

[global1]

10. Did The Repug Party Put Pressure On Sandoval To Withdraw His Name?....nt

[onenote]

11. Seems likely.

I expect the message was conveyed that (a) he wouldn't get confirmed and (b) he wouldn't have much of a future in electoral politics either.

[joeybee12]

12. I live in Vegas and I think he dropped out because...

he's really not that bright and he didn't want to be under such scrutiny. That said, I doubt he was a serious candidate, just a trial balloon.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

17. Smart man! You got it! Again, DUers too preoccupied with bashing the president rather than seeing

the poker hand being played.

Hats off!

[lame54]

23. poker hands can be lost...

And this is a giant pot

[MineralMan]

18. Not surprising. Obama wouldn't have nominated him

anyhow. There's a game being played with the Scalia opening. I don't understand it, exactly, but I can see it happening.

The game is about getting Republicans in the Senate to do stupid things so Democrats can regain a majority there. We have an excellent opportunity to do that, and we must do that.

No official nomination has been made, and probably won't be for a while. Right now, we get to see just how obstructive the Republicans in the Senate can be. That's the idea. We need to see that. We need to see them looking like morons and scare the crap out of the Senators who are likely to be tossed out of office in November.

I wouldn't start attacking President Obama on this. Really. Let him play out his game. It's not about a specific person to be nominated. It's a delicate little game designed to get the Senate back, I think.

[zipplewrath]

20. Then you don't undestand the game the GOP is playing

They are willing to let the senate go, to block this nomination. So if the game is to "trick" them into losing the senate, we're playing THEIR game.

[mmonk]

21. I know the Democratic Party establishment is disappointed.