The New York Times has suggested the use of the Nuclear Option by The Senate GOP will be a one-time thing. I beg to differ. Judge Gorsuch might have gotten confirmed if he was a true centrist like Merrick Garland. He might have survived without the nuclear option. But he is not just a run of the mill conservative. That is why he needed the help of a process that, once out of the bag, will be very hard to put back.
Gorsuch is far right wing
As the Democratic senators read up on Gorsuch red flags appeared. It turned out that there was more affinity between Gorsuch and the Koch brothers and other far right leaders than met the eye.
He had to be opposed just as much of Trump's agenda must be opposed.
Trump's regressive agenda
The bulk of the stated agenda of President Donald Trump is an offense to at least 41 Democratic Senators. That is all the votes you need to force Mitch McConnell to pull nuclear the trigger again and again. He says he will just pull it on Supreme Court confirmations. We shall see.
Mitch will pull the trigger in the future
On health care, taxes infrastructure, and other bills Trump may offer, the Democrats will be the party struggling to maintain some vestige of rights and support for the vulnerable. The nuclear option will come back to bite the Republicans. Every Senator who votes for Gorsuch will be known as one of the people who turned the Senate into the House of Representatives.
Mitch McConnell will be pressured to go nuclear on anything the president wants.
After Senate Filibuster’s Death, Somber Lawmakers Seek Path Forward https://t.co/fQOx9RnI5j
— Stephen C. Rose (@stephencrose) April 6, 2017
Will the Syria attack sober up the president?
One would hope that the scintilla of humanity Trump showed last night in expressing empathy over the chemical attacks in Syria was an opening to a revision of his entire stance.
But that is hoping too much. The degree of suffering Trump could inflict with his draconian attacks on the US population is well beyond the images he saw on TV. Let him see videos of our homeless, our drug ravaged, our veterans poised to die by their own hand. Syria should sober Trump up. We can always hope.
Worst case
The worst case would be that the GOP would actually enact legislation that could permanently hobble democracy, diminish tolerance and put help out of reach for millions of Americans of all ages, sorts, and conditions.
With SCOTUS turned into a rubber stamp and the Senate inured to a corrupted process, we would essentially have a tyranny of a minority government over a majority of the American people. Possibly by some effort, the people themselves could prevail. There is a tide that flows regardless of rules. But it is not a happy thought. We are in a pickle.
