Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) on Sunday announced that he will vote to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He is the third Democrat to do so.
“After meeting with Judge Gorsuch, conducting a thorough review of his record, and closely following his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I believe that he is a qualified jurist who will base his decisions on his understanding of the law and is well-respected among his peers,” Donnelly wrote in a statement.
Donnelly said that he was “deeply disappointed” by the way Republican senators refused to give Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s nominee to the court, a hearing — let alone an up-or-down vote — last year.
“But as Senator, I can only vote on the nominee that comes to the Senate floor,” he said. “However, I believe that we should keep the current 60-vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees.”
Senate Republicans have indicated that they are willing to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” to ram Gorsuch’s nomination through on a simple majority vote in the face of a Democratic filibuster.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Sunday said that the Senate is “going to confirm Judge Gorsuch this week.”
“The way in which that occurs is in the hands of the Democratic minority,” he said.
Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) announced separately on Thursday that they will vote next week to confirm Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
All three of these Senators are up for reelection in 2018. Usually, I send support the way of my own state’s Democratic candidates but, in 2018, I believe I’ll be looking to support any opponent to these three (and if Heidi Heitkamp decides instead to run for governor as she is rumored to be desirous of, I’ll be supporting whoever her opponent is in that race).
With all due respect and apologies, I’d honestly rather see these seats filled with moderate Republicans than with so-called Democrats we can’t ever seem to count on when the chips are down.
This sucks. I understand why Donnelly and Manchin and Heitkamp are doing it – they want to get reelected – but the net effect of their votes is to give McConnell cover for the nuclear option. It’s time to fall on your sword, guys.
You’re most likely are gonna get your wish. Which will put the Dems so far behind in terms of sheer numbers, getting back the Senate will be VERY difficult. But if you don’t care about that, then I guess you’ll be happy in 2018.
Of this list, I doubt that many more will turn. Tester might have to as MT is very conservative.
He’s in
So vote no. You might lose your relection bid in 2018. But then again, you might not and a lot of otherwise pissed off Democrats will not abandon you. If you vote “yes”. Those same pissed off Dems will cut you loose, and the Pubbies won’t care about your “yes” vote, and vote for their special kind of yummy anyway. Either way, I’d rather see you get elected rather than not, but this isn’t about blue dogs, it’s about integrity.