GOP Might Back Off Supreme Court Fight - "This is a freebie"

GOP Might Back Off Supreme Court Fight
May 16, 2009 12:12 PM ET | Paul Bedard | Permanent Link | Print
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

An epic political battle over President Obama's expected pick for the Supreme Court might not happen, we hear. The reason: Though he was chosen by a Republican, retiring Justice David Souter voted like a Democrat, so the GOP doesn't see the partisan divide on the court changing. The big fight will come when a conservative judge leaves. "This is a freebie," says a GOP aide. "The full fight for the court hasn't happened yet," he adds.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2009/05/16/gop-might-back-off-supreme-court-fight.html

Kind of like that big fight we had when Bush nominated Alito. :sarcasm:

:sarcasm:

Even if the Rethug leadership decided that it was not the right time to fight, their base will not let them. What we need to be worried about are Democratic Senators coming from purple states, the pressure on them will be enormous. Frankly, if I were a Repuke Senate leader, I'd put out the word through "Washington Whispers" in US News and World Report (the media arm of the GOP) that I'm not going to lead any fight.

That sets the stage for Rethuglican Senators to feign shock at whatever the wingnuts find or invent, and then they get to watch the Democratic Senators who have strong rural constituencies fight with those from more urbanized areas. The Repukes and the Blue Dogs get together, and persuade President Obama to withdraw a nominee rather than witness a spectacle. If he doesn't comply, the GOP then trashes the nominee so very much that the next time the President has a nomination to make, he actually gets some, "no, thank you" responses.

Get a good lefty in there before we have to appease
the thugs with a centrist if/when a more conservative
judge retires.

Nor do they feel they have the strength.

This just seems like a convenient excuse where they can "gracefully" back away when they know they'd lose.

...will just further expose how powerless they are.

If they let this one go through they can even disguise it as being bipartisan.

They're between the precipice and a pile of poo. Their hard core constituents won't like it if they're easy on Obama and they won't like it when Obama gets is nominee approved no matter how.

I guess they're doing what will be easiest to make the whole thing go away fast during the summer when hopefully most people aren't looking.

which- with respect to Alito- includes our president.

This probably is one instance where it makes sense to keep the powder dry.

Yeah, KansDem, I'm letting you go this time, but just you wait...

Yeah, whatever, Asshole...

are going to piss and whine and moan, 'cause that's all they will be able to do when the Dems have 60 or more seats.

I think what they MEANT to say (republicans) is "we hope to have a fillabuster proof minority" by 2010, but we're not going to do anything until then.