Unless he shows up today not wearing any pants, I’m afraid that I very much expect Neil Gorsuch to be confirmed to SCOTUS.
I expect the vote will end up being something like 65-35, I expect much sturm und drang over Democratic yes votes, and I expect this will be an ornery place when that comes to pass.
Yes, he’s taking Merrick Garland’s seat. Yes, this is just one of those “elections have consequences” things.
However, I’m not here to argue over SCOTUS, the merits of Gorsuch in particular, etc.
Rather, should any Democratic Senator or staffer happen to read this — I’d like to suggest a different line of questioning from that normally present during such confirmation hearings.
Here are some sample questions I’d like to hear asked:
1) Can you describe your ancestry? As we’ve been info5rmed by the President that judges of certain ethnicity carry a sort of ‘blood taint’ that makes them unable to fairly adjudicate matters or parties that come in conflict with the homeland of ancestors, I am just curious if you carry any of this blood taint. Are there any parties or matters that your ancestry makes you unable to fairly judge?
2) Are you a REAL judge or just a “so-called judge”?
3) The long over-looked Article 12 of the Constitution has received increased attention since the Presidential campaign. Can you provide some insight into your interpretation of Article 12? Is it an anachronism immaterial to the modern American legal system? Have you ever rendered any decisions that cite Article 12?
4) Given that the President has previously proposed an expansion of the judiciary to include passing and voting on legislation, should this change to the judiciary come to pass, can you provide us with some insight as to what would be your key legislative priorities?
5) While possibly apocryphal, the President has cited Andrew Jackson as a model — and as we’ve discovered, nothing hums his dinger like the apocryphal… So — in the hypothetical case of “Mr. Gorsuch has made his decision, now let him enforce it”, would you enforce it? How?
6) Can you assure us that none of your decisions would leave the country “in peril”, as the President has said many of your robed colleagues have done?
7) Are you still disheartened and demoralized?
Frankly… if you DON’T want Gorsuch on SCOTUS, seems to me that such questions are the best path towards realizing that… as they might well lead to his nomination being yanked by Clown Hitler…