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On Monday, before all Russian hell broke loose at the White House forcing National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to resign (or be fired, or be hounded out by the fake media, depending on who in the WH is doing the talking) The New York Times published this story on the "quandary" facing Democrats over Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. "Appease the Base or Honor the Process," the subhead poses.
But as the nominee, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, goes through his paces on Capitol Hill, keeping a bipartisan schedule of Senate meetings, the process has laid bare the dilemma now facing Democrats at every turn, forcing the party into disparate factions over a nominee with copious credentials but deeply conservative roots.
And here's the surprising thing Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's No. 2 guy, Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, had to say about it.
“The base wants me to reject him out of hand,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the body’s No. 2 Democrat, who will meet with Judge Gorsuch on Tuesday. “I don’t think that serves the country well.”
Mr. Durbin added: “We’ve had a handful of Democratic senators who’ve already announced they’re voting no. Many people in some parts of the base think we should all make that announcement. I just don’t think that’s appropriate.”
So, Mr. Durbin, care to revisit that statement two days later? Has anything happened, anything at all, that might make you think a Trump appointment to the Supreme Court—of a guy to the right of both Justices Samuel Alito and Antonin Scalia—should just be rejected out of hand? Because from out here, that looks like the responsible way forward.