Fool Me Once

Donald Trump has nominated for the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch. Gorsuch is a Federal Judge pre-approved by the radical conservative special interests that Trump was pandering to during his presidential campaign. Gorsuch is nominated for the slot that Senate Republicans denied to Merrick Garland, an Obama nominee, that resulted from the death of Antonin Scalia. The Supreme Court has been working short-handed for over a year.

It is in this toxic situation that Republicans hope to secure for themselves the "Conservative slot" of Scalia on the Court for themselves, by way of Gorsuch.

First off, this is a fiction wrapped in a lie. There is no such thing as a "Conservative slot", and the unconstitutional actions of the Republican majority were an embarrassment to this country. The Republican majority denied Judge Garland a hearing and a vote, and now, with the prospect of a Democratic filibuster to prevent Gorsuch the 60 votes needed for confirmation, there is talk of the "nuclear option". That would be a change in the Senate rules that would negate the right to filibuster by the minority and allow approval of a Supreme Court nomination with a simple majority.

The Republican majority can do this. They can change the rules. The Democrats did this when Republicans blocked all of President Obama's nominations for all manner of positions. The Democrats left in place only the sixty vote requirement for the Supreme Court.

With Democrats now a powerless minority, they have no way to prevent the Republicans from simply changing the rules on the Gorsuch nomination. Some are counseling the Democrats to hold off on the filibuster on the Gorsuch nomination. The rationale is that Gorsuch isn't so bad, that it's just a replacement for a "Conservative slot" on the court. They should save their filibuster for when Trump gets the opportunity to replace a liberal judge.

No, No, and NO!!!

Yes, it's true that the Democrats can't stop the Republicans from putting Gorsuch on the bench. But who in their right mind thinks that come some future situation, perhaps when the elderly and not in great health Judge Ginsburg retires or dies, that the Republicans won't use their majority to set rules that would allow yet another corporatist Conservative onto the court? Who in their right mind believes that the wretches that comprise the Republican majority in the Senate wouldn't gladly take Democrat acquiescence now and strong arm another horrendous Conservative cretinous nominee into the "Liberal slot" down the line?

This sort of strategy is exactly how the Democrats have allowed the gerrymandering of the country and created the sort of culture of losing that has long vexed the party.

The Democrats MUST stand united in resistance and defiance to any and all attempts by the Trump administration to hack away at the very foundations of our American values and culture. Have they learned nothing from the Republican debacle in their idiotic attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare? The Republicans are a party not at all interested in governing, and the Democrats must stand against their entire program. Democrats must use the Republicans own ineptitude against them.

If the Republicans want to ram through Gorsuch, let them. The Democrats can not be a part of the political appeasement of Trump or his minions.

As the country becomes aware of the results of Trump's platform, as it is implemented, there are two ways things may go. The country will either continue its descent into chaos, or there will be a new awakening to what has been taken from us. The rising up of the real majority, no longer in its comfortable stupor, will take back this country and restore its true greatness.

Sadly, the first option is set into motion so far.