#102 - Mitch McConnell, the Second Most Dispicable Man in American Politics

President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanough to the Supreme Court was a disturbing reminder to many Democrats that sometimes life is not fair, that sometimes rich, powerful and selfish men will abuse power simply because, they can.

On February 13, 2016, Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead at the Cibolo Creek Ranch in Shafter, Texas  Ten days later, the 11 Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee signed a letter to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell stating their intention to withhold consent on any nominee made by President Obama, and that no hearings would occur until after January 20, 2017, when the next president takes office.

With this action, a new political battle line was literally invented overnight. The battle to restrict a sitting President’s constitutional authority had begun. 

On March 16, 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a moderate by almost everyone's definition, but it didn’t matter.  Immediately thereafter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to block President Obama's Supreme Court nomination, saying the American people should have a "voice" in the process.  McConnell said that the "the decision the Senate made weeks ago remains about a principle, not a person."

It’s not clear to what principle McConnell was referring, for over the course of American history, there have been 24 instances in which presidents in the last year of a term have nominated individuals for the Supreme Court and the Senate confirmed 21 of these nominees.  In no cases were the nominations simply...stalled.  

Perhaps it was the principal employed by all self-serving, despicable, arrogant, outrageous men throughout the course of history that the end justifies the means.   It’s the only possible explanation, for Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the President 'shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... judges of the Supreme Court'.   Though the Senate may ultimately choose not to consent to the president's nominee, under its constitutional responsibility, refusing to perform its ‘advice and consent’ role, was unprecedented   And yet that is exactly what Mitch McConnell did.

So Garland’s nomination never saw the light of day, and McConnell eventually completed his criminal fait accompli shortly after President Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court when he eliminated the filibuster rule in the senate, which would have required 60 votes to confirm.  Gorsuch was subsequently approved along purely partisan lines by a vote of 54-45.

In an August 2016 speech in Kentucky, Senator McConnell said, "One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, 'Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy. 

One of Mitch’s proudest moment was his proactive and clear dereliction of duty.  If he had been in the military, his actions would have led to a court martial, but within the confines of the sick and twisted minds of many Republicans, his actions were celebrated.

I am old enough to remember a time when Republicans, real members of the Grand Ol’ Party used to hold real principals dear.  I remember when they used to stand for something. I remember when Republicans in Congress had….integrity. 

Hell...I even used to vote Republican.

But this is not your father’s GOP.  And in the shadow of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, it’s a reminder to those who believe in honesty, integrity and in justice, that even before there was a Donald Trump, there was a Mitch McConnell.