Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on Sunday suggested that if Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer chooses to retire, he should do so “sooner rather than later.”
Please Justice Breyer, contemplate the future of the court and the country, and step aside gracefully. Now. A change in the Senate in 2022 would be catastrophic.
Let’s hope that he retires ahead of the 2022 elections before Moscow Mitch has even a snowball’s chance in hell of holding the nomination hostage again.
What makes you think Moscow Mitch won’t try to hold the nomination hostage even if it became vacant tomorrow?
Sure, he’ll try, but as long as the Senate is divided 50-50, with VP Harris having the tie-breaking vote, he can’t succeed–as long as the Democrats (including Manchin and Sinema) stand together 100%, and as long as no deaths, incapacities, or scandals reduce the Democrats’ ranks.
And that’s cutting it too close to comfort.
Justice Breyer really shouldn’t be playing Russian roulette with the Supreme Court’s future. He needs to retire with grace and dignity now.
Because Moscow Mitch is utterly ruthless.
Get ready for two generations of 7-2 decisions defending backwards conservative ignorance in ways that conveniently entrench minority rule. And that’s if it doesn’t kill us, which anti-vax madness very possibly will.
And we are utterly RuthBaderGinsburgless.
Moscow Mitch’ll do anything short of throwing himself in front of an oncoming locomotive to prevent any Democratic appointee to the SC from being approved by the Senate.
As things stand right now, that just gives us the pleasure of seeing him stymied.
Actually approving a Democratic nominee in addition to Breyer’s replacement would probably make him curdle.
Feigned GOP “How dare anyone play politics with the Supreme Court?!” outrage in 3, 2, 1…
(Followed immediately by obligatory Pee-Wee Soccer League Press pile-on.)
Moscow Mitch has few cards in his hand, a Supreme Court nominee cannot be filibustered.
“… if he’s going to retire, it should be sooner, rather than later…”
Have you never won a poker hand when you’ve held no cards?
This one is pretty much a no-brainer. Given the risks–Breyer’s age with its built-in limitations, along with McConnell’s demonstrated tactics–Breyer really needs to retire, well before the 2022 midterms.
You just never know when there’s a salmon moose with your name on it.
Justice Breyer knows just what Mitch McConnell will do if he is the Majority Leader when Breyer retires. Nothing. He will hold the seat open. It doesn’t matter if it is two years or two weeks prior to the 2024 election.
If Mitch would just do the country a favor and croak…
whiile driving the fully loaded Freedom Caucus bus as it careens off a cliff.
After what happened with Justice Ginsburg, with McConnell pushing through Barrett‘s last minute nomination to give conservatives overwhelmingly control of SCOTUS, i.e. our lives, this is frankly very selfish. Putting himself over his own beliefs, and the lives of millions of Americans - the majority in fact -who deserve to have their voices heard far into the future.
I realize very few ever willingly leave center stage, but it’s the right thing to do in this case.
I have a rigid personality. I see Breyer as a “bird in the hand”; he’s a known quantity without malevolence. Why not use the opportunity with its inevitable sturm und drang to expand the Court? Surely the 320 million people of the US would benefit from more than an average of 80 cases being heard per year? Would that not be two (at least) for the price of one? The Court’s already stacked. Bring balance plus one.
