Anyone who listened to Senators debating the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch knows that, regardless of the truth of the arguments, hope of compromise of any sort is nonexistent. That means that binary has won. All the negative results of a decision with no room for reconciliation will come to pass. Whether the result will apply only to courts is doubtful. The Senate, meant to be a break on rampant majority rule, will become, some fear, a runaway rubber stamp for Donald Trump.
Facts
Here is what ABC tells us will happen Day By Day this week.
Wednesday will be a significant nothing day called the intervening day.
It means no action can be taken on a move for cloture, the motion that would lead to a final vote on the Gorsuch nomination.
Thursday is cloture day. The motion to close debate needs 60 votes to pass. The Democrats have more than 40 no votes. The defeat of cloture is the trigger that can lead to the rules change called the Nuclear Option. Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell can and probably will change the rules and make the cloture vote passable with 51 votes.
It is unclear what the Democrats can or will do. McConnell will rule. Latitude could allow the Democrats some time to let off steam but would not change the reality. Anyone who wants to evaluate reasons for opposing Gorsuch would be advised to look into The Federalist Society's extensive agenda to turn the courts of the of the entire United States redder than they ever have been.
Friday, assuming the nuclear option, the Senate will confirm Neil Gorsuch as the ninth justice on SCOTUS.
What's next in the fight over Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch - ABC News - https://t.co/IKXGLCF11U via @ABC
— Stephen C. Rose (@stephencrose) April 4, 2017
The consequences
The use of the nuclear option to confirm a supreme court justice could, at very least, result in an easy time in confirming nominations while Trump is in the White House and the Senate is under GOP control.
The slippery slope would come into play if the GOP just went ahead and passed anything at will.
Given the controversial nature of Trump proposals, the coming weekend will be rife with conjectures of doom on the part of Democrats and expressions of triumph by Republicans who believe they have a path to wherever their hearts may lead.
