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(The Week)   Yertle's smartest move would be to unexpectedly de-escalate the battle to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Might even save him from the turtle soup pot   (theweek.com) divider line
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    More: Obvious, Supreme Court of the United States, Democratic Party, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, President of the United States, United States Senate, Bill Clinton, Mitch McConnell, GOP's hold  
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1917 clicks; posted to Politics » on 21 Sep 2020 at 8:44 AM (16 weeks ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



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OldRod [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2020-09-21 6:21:30 AM  
43 votes:
He doesn't care.  If he gets beat because he enabled Trump to appoint 3 SCOTUS Justices and hundreds of federal judges, then he'll retire happy.

This is what he's wanted.  This is why he's put up with Trump's bullshiat all these years.

He wants to mold the court in a way that it'll be decades before we can unfark it.
 
Alphax [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 5:19:42 AM  
37 votes:
He's not smart.. merely unrestrained by rules, laws, the Constitution, ethics, morals, virtues...
 
Marcus Aurelius [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2020-09-21 5:52:29 AM  
36 votes:
Can you imagine the shock if McConnell were to back off of his pledge to give a nominee a vote before the next president is inaugurated?

Mitch McConnell doing the right and decent thing would be very shocking at this point.  He has no decency or respect.
 
Earguy [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2020-09-21 6:13:01 AM  
29 votes:
McConnell is heavily favored to retain his seat. A more realistic scenario is that the Ds win control of the Senate and Moscow Mitch becomes far less relevant.
 
AdmirableSnackbar [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2020-09-21 8:25:13 AM  
19 votes:
The only things he cares about are being Senate Majority Leader and using the power he has. He's going to try to push through a vote and the only reason he would stand down here would be if he didn't have the votes to seat a candidate. He gets off on doing shiat like this.
 
dammit just give me a login [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 7:20:25 AM  
17 votes:
He has the power and he will wield it. The only way MM would possibly back off is if his Russian or Chinese handlers ordered it.
 
Boondock3806 [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 9:08:11 AM  
13 votes:
His voter base in Kentucky might be appalled at such a blatant and hypocritical power grab, but their only option is to roll over and take it. What else can they do, vote for a democrat?

They've already made it clear they prefer being subjugated to Russian style authoritarianism over tax increases to provide healthcare and take care of the environment.
 
Horizon
2020-09-21 8:55:28 AM  
13 votes:

Alphax: He's not smart.. merely unrestrained by rules, laws, the Constitution, ethics, morals, virtues...


I have to disagree, he's extremely intelligent. He acts deliberately with malice.
 
Subtonic
2020-09-21 8:58:25 AM  
11 votes:
This is Mitch McConnell we're talking about. I expect nothing less than the absolute worst possible outcome.
 
killershark
2020-09-21 8:53:58 AM  
11 votes:
And the futures market looks like it's tanking. What's going to happen when Trump wants to save the stock market and McConnell wants a judge? You can only choose one.
 
jack_o_the_hills
2020-09-21 9:04:21 AM  
9 votes:

b0rg9: They're ramming that Catholic lady through. It'll all be done by mid October.


Fark user imageView Full Size
 
Lumbar Puncture
2020-09-21 9:01:03 AM  
9 votes:

Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.


And he did the math between losing temporary Senate seats and a lifetime Judge appointment
 
Hand Banana
2020-09-21 8:56:27 AM  
9 votes:
Kentucky is going to reelect him until the day he dies, he's in no danger of losing no matter what he does.
 
Crabs_Can_Polevault
2020-09-21 6:52:53 AM  
9 votes:
What? Evacuate? In his moment of triumph?
 
Hand Banana
2020-09-21 9:02:11 AM  
7 votes:

ElwoodCuse: Hand Banana: Kentucky is going to reelect him until the day he dies, he's in no danger of losing no matter what he does.

hmmm maybe Chuck Schumer shouldn't decide who Mitch gets to run against


Booker wouldn't have beaten him either; I don't think even Jesus himself could win against Mitch in Kentucky. Ignorant yokels...
 
Harry Freakstorm [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 8:58:31 AM  
7 votes:
You know that a-hole who speeds past you every morning on the interstate?  I mean, like 100 mph?  One day, you see him pulled over by the state troopers and you think "Ha!  His uppance has finally come!  But the very next day:  A-hole going 100 mph.

That's turtleman.

i.pinimg.comView Full Size


Turtleman went back to the bastard coating room for three extra coats.
 
Decorus
2020-09-21 8:57:50 AM  
7 votes:
Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.
 
Farkin_Crazy
2020-09-21 8:56:39 AM  
7 votes:
They've painted themselves into a corner and the door is way across the room.

If they push through a nomination, Dems and independents will make them pay on election day.

If they don't, Trump will trash them and Trump republicans will stay home.

What to do, Mitch (and Ernst, Collins, Gardner and Tillis)? What to do?
 
Olthoi [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 9:06:44 AM  
6 votes:
This ignores that to him, getting a 23 year old potato in this SC seat is more important than winning elections.
 
Farkin_Crazy
2020-09-21 9:00:23 AM  
6 votes:

Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.


I think you're right.

And he's throwing Graham to the wolves. Bwhahahaha.
 
b0rg9
2020-09-21 8:55:46 AM  
6 votes:
They're ramming that Catholic lady through. It'll all be done by mid October.
 
mainsail
2020-09-21 8:49:35 AM  
6 votes:

Alphax: He's not smart.. merely unrestrained by rules, laws, the Constitution, ethics, morals, virtues...


And this is his goal- delivering a tame judiciary to give the seal of legality to all the shiatty things he wishes to do.
 
killershark
2020-09-21 9:09:12 AM  
5 votes:

Farkin_Crazy: They've painted themselves into a corner and the door is way across the room.

If they push through a nomination, Dems and independents will make them pay on election day.

If they don't, Trump will trash them and Trump republicans will stay home.

What to do, Mitch (and Ernst, Collins, Gardner and Tillis)? What to do?


Not just them. Collins is losing her race by a decent amount because of her Kavanaugh vote.  Voters remember and the 2022 Senate election map is even more bleak for the Republicans. Tommey from PA is up for re-election in 2022 as is Murkowski. Marco Rubio is up in a state that could flip blue. The NC seat will be open and Dem Cunningham is currently beating the incumbent Tillis in this year's race. It's not just this election. McConnell may not be worried about his seat, but many others are. And what's the use of having a conservative Justice if any conservative ruling against women's rights or gay rights or voting rights can just be overturned by passing a bill through Congress. Imagine if the Democrats could've fixed Citizen United or the voting rights act by simply passing a new bill.
 
UNC_Samurai [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 8:56:41 AM  
5 votes:
I wonder if the vulnerable R Senators are begging him behind closed doors to not push a nominee and cost them their slim reelection chances.
 
Hand Banana
2020-09-21 9:52:10 AM  
4 votes:

hej: Controlling the Supreme Court is the one thing he wants most.  I'm pretty sure he's willing to accept his own political loss as acceptable collateral damage in order to get it.


Which is why Biden needs to expand the court when he wins as a giant middle finger to Mitch and the republicans.
 
JerkStore
2020-09-21 9:35:41 AM  
4 votes:
Why? What, exactly, does McConnell have to fear? He's the most powerful man in America. There's nothing anyone can do to him, now or in the future, no punishment awaiting him, no life of exile or poverty, no higher power judging him. He's as close as any American has ever been to untouchable. The Democrats have zero power and even when he's not in charge of the Senate, he still seems to have all the power (I don't know quite how it works that no matter who is in charge, he's still calling the shots yet Democrats can't even slow him down jamming a new SCOTUS down our throats).

McConnell's smartest move is to keep doing whatever the fark he wants, however he wants, to whomever he wants. Who's gonna stop him? Who's gonna complain and to whom? What are they going to do in Kentucky? Vote him out? LOL. That's where stigginit was born and they love the way he does it.

Sorry article writer, but McConnell is the one guy who really can do whatever he wants and get away with it, and it seems that what he wants is to just run the train off the rails and watch it burn before he dies.
 
Farkin_Crazy
2020-09-21 9:08:13 AM  
4 votes:

Program User: The vote (and likely even the nomination) will be delayed until after the election.  But they'll choose a new Supreme Court Justice before January.


Trump won't stand for that.

He wants (and frankly needs) that justice seated so he can leverage them to rule in his favor on election challenges.

They (vulnerable republicans) are screwed no matter what happens.

Push to seat the justice? Dems and independents will vote them out.

Push off a vote until after the election? Trump will trash them and his base will reject them.
 
jso2897
2020-09-21 9:06:33 AM  
4 votes:

Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.


Yeah - but he doesn't know when, and knows he is going to die/retire soon anyway.
He has no disincentive to keep doing what he does, at this point.
 
ElwoodCuse [BareFark]
2020-09-21 9:04:58 AM  
4 votes:
the lady who couldn't beat Andy Barr in a single congressional district for goddamn sure was a terrible choice that should have been obvious from a mile away
 
PanicAttack [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2020-09-21 8:56:13 AM  
4 votes:

AdmirableSnackbar: The only things he cares about are being Senate Majority Leader and using the power he has. He's going to try to push through a vote and the only reason he would stand down here would be if he didn't have the votes to seat a candidate. He gets off on doing shiat like this.


Yup. His smirk in the 2019 portion of the video says it all.
WATCH: Mitch McConnell's Stance On Confirming Supreme Court Vacancy In 2016 Vs. 2020 | NBC News
Youtube YqRJXVXcVeE
 
IndyJohn [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 12:00:14 PM  
3 votes:

Kangaroo_Ralph: IndyJohn: He's getting reelected regardless.

Happy to break it to you, but when Trump wins, all those down-ballots go with him. Making the Senate a lock and the House in play.


Ok Trumper
 
Great_Milenko
2020-09-21 9:32:40 AM  
3 votes:

Alphax: He's not smart.. merely unrestrained by rules, laws, the Constitution, ethics, morals, virtues...


He's very smart.  During a time when people should be talking about Ginsberg, her influence, and her accomplishments, everyone is talking about Trump and McConnell.  They've successfully pushed the story of the success of feminism and how a strong woman can change the world from the media.

Would he like to appoint Trump's handmaid from Florida to the SCOTUS bench?  Sure, but at the very least he's obscured GInsberg's legacy at little to no cost to himself.  Kentucky republican's won't care about his hypocrisy, and democrats wouldn't vote for him anyhow.  If he can't get the votes in the senate to push trump's acolyte through, he'll just mumble something about democratic interference and running out of time.    He probably knows that getting everything together is a long shot this close to the election anyhow, but at least he's winning at controlling the narrative, something democrats let republicans get away with far too often.
 
Farkin_Crazy
2020-09-21 9:26:19 AM  
3 votes:

Lumbar Puncture: Farkin_Crazy: Lumbar Puncture: Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.

And he did the math between losing temporary Senate seats and a lifetime Judge appointment

But he's not accounting for an expanded court if Dems win the Senate.

Biden isn't going to push for that. But he won't veto it if it gets dropped on his desk.

But realistically what're the odds of the Dems doing that? I'd love for it to happen, and for DC and PR to be officially considered states worthy of representation of their populations, but I wouldn't put money on it even in a best case scenario.


I don't know what the chances are.

But if the ACA and abortion are on the cutting block, they'd goddamn well better have plan for stopping it if possible. Or at least a favorable court when they take up both issues after they are discarded. And expanding the court would serve that purpose.
 
killershark
2020-09-21 9:13:51 AM  
3 votes:

Farkin_Crazy: Lumbar Puncture: Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.

And he did the math between losing temporary Senate seats and a lifetime Judge appointment

But he's not accounting for an expanded court if Dems win the Senate.

Biden isn't going to push for that. But he won't veto it if it gets dropped on his desk.


Or a judicial reform bill that includes an expanded Supreme Court plus minimum qualification standards for lifetime federal appointments, retirement age or term limits, and more. How many of his federal judges will become stuck in dead-end jobs because they didn't have the qualifications for that job to begin with and now don't even meet the bare minimum to be promoted?
 
Farkin_Crazy
2020-09-21 9:10:56 AM  
3 votes:

Boondock3806: His voter base in Kentucky might be appalled at such a blatant and hypocritical power grab, but their only option is to roll over and take it. What else can they do, vote for a democrat?

They've already made it clear they prefer being subjugated to Russian style authoritarianism over tax increases to provide healthcare and take care of the environment.


Mitch isn't likely to lose his seat. FFS, they think of the picture of him with the confederate flag behind him as a positive.

But Graham, Ernst, Collins, and a few others are definitely going to be at a huge disadvantage on election day.

They might, as time goes on, wish RBG hadn't passed away this close to election day. Mitch won't. But the unemployed incumbents will.
 
ElwoodCuse [BareFark]
2020-09-21 8:57:59 AM  
3 votes:

Hand Banana: Kentucky is going to reelect him until the day he dies, he's in no danger of losing no matter what he does.


hmmm maybe Chuck Schumer shouldn't decide who Mitch gets to run against
 
GanjSmokr [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 8:55:14 AM  
3 votes:
I didn't used to be one of those people who just wants to sit back and watch it all burn to ashes, but this year has changed me a bit.
 
Truck Fump [recently expired TotalFark]
2020-09-21 8:54:13 AM  
3 votes:

Alphax: He's not smart.. merely unrestrained by rules, laws, the Constitution, ethics, morals, virtues...


You don't have to be smart to be a politician, only clever.
Sneaky helps, too.
 
fiddlehead
2020-09-21 10:14:47 AM  
2 votes:
Get Mitch or Die Trying.
 
Icarus_Rising [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 9:34:51 AM  
2 votes:
It would be smart if he cared about long-term respectability of the GOP.  But he doesn't, because he's spent the last 16 years burning that to the ground.  He knows there is a good chance that Trump goes down this cycle, cheating be damned.  He also knows there is an outside shot that the Republicans will lose the Senate this cycle, though that's less likely. The electoral long-game is less important that cementing a conservative SCOTUS majority for the next 30 or so years.
 
thehobbes
2020-09-21 9:32:28 AM  
2 votes:
The system is broken. 

The government has failed to provide meaningful relief for it's citizens and just doesn't care. The fact we aren't facing societal collapse is insane. 

A one time payment of $1200. That's all the Republicans gave the country. And because we're surviving, they think this is acceptable.
 
Slappy Longballs
2020-09-21 9:26:49 AM  
2 votes:

Shaggy_C: Earguy: McConnell is heavily favored to retain his seat. A more realistic scenario is that the Ds win control of the Senate and Moscow Mitch becomes far less relevant.

Then he can go back to filibustering everything just like the Obama years. He's the most consequential politician in the last 20 years. I hate his politics, but damned if I'm not impressed by his success.


You would have been absolutely in awe of Hitler, up until he invaded Russia because he started to think divine providence was on his side and he couldn't lose, and subsequently stepped on his own dick and ate a bullet.
 
Farkin_Crazy
2020-09-21 9:23:19 AM  
2 votes:

keldaria: Shaggy_C: Earguy: McConnell is heavily favored to retain his seat. A more realistic scenario is that the Ds win control of the Senate and Moscow Mitch becomes far less relevant.

Then he can go back to filibustering everything just like the Obama years. He's the most consequential politician in the last 20 years. I hate his politics, but damned if I'm not impressed by his success.

The filibuster isn't going to survive. The only reason it's not gone now is that is has no practical effect if democrats control the house while republicans control the senate.


In my opinion, the filibuster has stalled more good legislation that it has enabled bad.
 
snowshovel
2020-09-21 9:14:52 AM  
2 votes:
Pushing through a SCOTUS member right now: This will cause Democrats to come out and vote in droves, probably lose a lot of the suburban independent women over "fairness" that they have been actively courting. Republican voters probably don't change much...the sense of urgency is over as they "have finally won". Doing this basically signifies that Republicans think that Trump is toast no matter what he does, and they are going to willingly sacrifice him to the electoral gods.

Waiting on a SCOTUS member: Energizes the republican base ( and possibly even more so) just as much as Democrats, you probably win over more of the suburban women this way with a sense gracious sense of fairness. This make the election entirely about the Supreme Court, and every other single bad thing that Trump has done disappears for the next month. If Republicans think they can salvage Trump's re-election chances, this is the path you take.

Of course, the fly in the ointment is that Trump REALLY REALLY REALLY wants to do this now, because he has the impulse control of a toddler.
 
Lumbar Puncture
2020-09-21 9:14:40 AM  
2 votes:

Farkin_Crazy: Lumbar Puncture: Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.

And he did the math between losing temporary Senate seats and a lifetime Judge appointment

But he's not accounting for an expanded court if Dems win the Senate.

Biden isn't going to push for that. But he won't veto it if it gets dropped on his desk.


But realistically what're the odds of the Dems doing that? I'd love for it to happen, and for DC and PR to be officially considered states worthy of representation of their populations, but I wouldn't put money on it even in a best case scenario.
 
Boondock3806 [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 9:11:24 AM  
2 votes:
Hmm, 25% of the comments in this thread aren't showing up for me.

Whoever the threadshiatter is, you people should know better than to feed it.
 
keldaria
2020-09-21 9:10:51 AM  
2 votes:
Their smartest move would be to tap Garland and dare democrats to vote against him. Replacing RBG with a moderate judge like garland would be a tragedy.
 
Farkin_Crazy
2020-09-21 9:04:29 AM  
2 votes:

Hand Banana: ElwoodCuse: Hand Banana: Kentucky is going to reelect him until the day he dies, he's in no danger of losing no matter what he does.

hmmm maybe Chuck Schumer shouldn't decide who Mitch gets to run against

Booker wouldn't have beaten him either; I don't think even Jesus himself could win against Mitch in Kentucky. Ignorant yokels...


That guy thinks only progressives can win any race.
 
Farkin_Crazy
2020-09-21 9:03:18 AM  
2 votes:

Lumbar Puncture: Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.

And he did the math between losing temporary Senate seats and a lifetime Judge appointment


But he's not accounting for an expanded court if Dems win the Senate.

Biden isn't going to push for that. But he won't veto it if it gets dropped on his desk.
 
honestlylincoln
2020-09-21 8:54:02 AM  
2 votes:
But how would that stick it to the libs?
 
Kangaroo_Ralph
2020-09-21 11:35:38 AM  
1 vote:

IndyJohn: He's getting reelected regardless.


Happy to break it to you, but when Trump wins, all those down-ballots go with him. Making the Senate a lock and the House in play.
 
Kit Fister [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 10:03:54 AM  
1 vote:

Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.


We can hope, but it ain't over until all the ballots are counted. I wouldn't count on losing the senate until then.
 
flypusher713
2020-09-21 9:50:02 AM  
1 vote:
Any plan that depends on Mitch "because I CAN so Fark you" McConnell being honorable or fair or patriotic is a plan not based in reality.

/vote the mofos out, that's reality
 
IndyJohn [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 9:37:39 AM  
1 vote:
Holding the seat open might be a good play if the presidential election is going to be close and you think that the Trumpist/fascist voters need extra motivation to turn out.

But if you you are going to lose regardless, you do everything you can (if you're Moscow Mitch, that is), to (1) lock in as much power as possible for the GOP; and (2) fark over the incoming Democratic administration.  It might backfire if the Democrats decide to pack the Court, but fark that.

It's apparent McConnell already thinks that Trump is going to lose.  He's going to try to ram it through.
 
IndyJohn [TotalFark]
2020-09-21 9:31:51 AM  
1 vote:

Marcus Aurelius: Can you imagine the shock if McConnell were to back off of his pledge to give a nominee a vote before the next president is inaugurated?

Mitch McConnell doing the right and decent thing would be very shocking at this point.  He has no decency or respect.


If he did it, it would not be out of decency or respect.
 
AdmirableSnackbar [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2020-09-21 9:29:05 AM  
1 vote:

Farkin_Crazy: Lumbar Puncture: Farkin_Crazy: Lumbar Puncture: Decorus: Mitch already knows they are losing the Senate.

And he did the math between losing temporary Senate seats and a lifetime Judge appointment

But he's not accounting for an expanded court if Dems win the Senate.

Biden isn't going to push for that. But he won't veto it if it gets dropped on his desk.

But realistically what're the odds of the Dems doing that? I'd love for it to happen, and for DC and PR to be officially considered states worthy of representation of their populations, but I wouldn't put money on it even in a best case scenario.

I don't know what the chances are.

But if the ACA and abortion are on the cutting block, they'd goddamn well better have plan for stopping it if possible. Or at least a favorable court when they take up both issues after they are discarded. And expanding the court would serve that purpose.


Democrats don't care about abortion - they invited an anti-choice Republican to speak at the convention for a reason. And they don't really care about the ACA except the politics of it, that it's their one legislative accomplishment in decades.
 
thealgorerhythm
2020-09-21 9:28:53 AM  
1 vote:
This is like writing the smart move for a suicide bomber would be to hide the bomb in an ambush and try to run away to bomb again tomorrow. I  mean, okay, sure, but yeah no.
 
houstondragon
2020-09-21 9:25:36 AM  
1 vote:

OldRod: He doesn't care.  If he gets beat because he enabled Trump to appoint 3 SCOTUS Justices and hundreds of federal judges, then he'll retire happy.

This is what he's wanted.  This is why he's put up with Trump's bullshiat all these years.

He wants to mold the court in a way that it'll be decades before we can unfark it.


So much this.
 
DoctorFarkGood
2020-09-21 9:17:03 AM  
1 vote:
I'd hazard a guess that Mitch is savvy enough to split the difference and drag it out till after the election- he gets to look like a loyal Trumper, but not force any of the R Senators in tight races to commit to a vote.

I don't think it'll really help him, but it seems to be the least catastrophic (for him, not the country) choice he could make.
 
SirEattonHogg
2020-09-21 9:12:06 AM  
1 vote:
Fark user imageView Full Size


De-escalate, evacuate, etc.
 
Program User
2020-09-21 9:04:38 AM  
1 vote:
The vote (and likely even the nomination) will be delayed until after the election.  But they'll choose a new Supreme Court Justice before January.
 
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