Observations : Confirmation Hearings for Judge Gorsuch.

Bill Hammond. Purple Walrus Press.. 

I've been watching the Confirmation Hearings for Judge Gorsuch and I have some observations I'd like to share. 

 • The first is that it is apparent that the Republicans and the Democrats will not agree.
• The second is that Filibuster or no Filibuster, Gorsuch will be confirmed.

My observation is that we, as the American people in the majority, are very angry that our candidate did not receive the needed Electoral College votes to actually be named President. But just as important or perhaps more important we are angry, and I believe justifiably so, that the Republican led Senate saw fit to exercise a totally unprecedented (ab)use of power to deny Judge Garland, or ANY NOMINEE, a hearing to be named to the Court. In so doing, Mitch McConnell and the Republican Senate set NEW precedent to block future SCOTUS nominees based solely on political considerations. So, again in my opinion, the Republicans today should not be surprised that there is backlash against this Nominee.

Much has been made of the fact that so many recent SCOTUS nominees have been approved by near unanimous votes. I would agree - that should establish that a SCOTUS nomination should be held to a high level of approval. Right now it will take 60 votes for a nominee to be approved. Such votes cannot be found. So after a filibuster is ended the Senate will likely change their rules back to a simple majority. Then they will approve Judge Gorsuch. This will violate the very principle that so many Republicans on the Judicial Committee have cited in the approval of the most recent nominees with a near unanimous decision.

I would like to suggest two things:
• This nomination should be withdrawn. This will stop all new precedents from being established.
• That President Trump nominate Judge Garland. When he was originally named by President Obama he was a compromise candidate who was thought to be more amenable to Republicans and yet still marginally acceptable to Democrats. That would go a long ways to repairing this Rep/Dem rift in Congress and would show that perhaps we can get passed ideological politics and get back to actually governing!!

Bill Hammond.