Vulnerable Democratic senator: 'I will not support the confirmation' of Supreme Court pick ahead of Election Day

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/doug-jones-supreme-court-nominee-
position/index.html

Washington (CNN)Sen. Doug Jones, a vulnerable Democratic senator up for 
reelection in the red state of Alabama, announced Friday he "will not 
support" President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee -- who has yet to 
be named -- ahead of Election Day.

"I will not support the confirmation of any Supreme Court justice nominee, 
regardless of who it might be. I will not support that nominee before the 
outcome of the November 3 election has been determined," said Jones during 
a Facebook livestream.

"We should not force the country into a brutal and divisive partisan fight 
to confirm a Supreme Court justice ... while Americans are already voting 
to choose their next president," Jones added.

Jones criticized Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for what 
he described as rushing a nomination to replace the late Supreme Court 
Justice Ruth Ginsburg, who died a week ago, calling the nomination process 
a "blatant political power grab." McConnell announced hours after 
Ginsburg's death that he'll hold a vote on Trump's nominee on the Senate 
floor, and several high-profile Republicans -- including Judiciary 
Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina -- have committed to holding a 
Senate vote before Election Day, November 3.

Jones added: "Power grabs are not uncommon in our political system, but 
few are accompanied by such blatant hypocrisy," a reference to how 
McConnell refused to advance the nomination of then-President Barack 
Obama's judicial pick Merrick Garland in 2016.

"This new effort by Senator McConnell will be a tear in the fabric of our 
government that may be irreparable," he said.

McConnell has said that the discrepancy between 2016 and now stems from 
divided government between which party controls the Senate and which one 
controls the White House, whereas Republicans control both the Senate and 
Executive Branch this year.

McConnell does not appear to need the support of any Democrats to advance 
the nomination. As Republicans hold 53 seats, the majority leader can lose 
three and still confirm the nominee with a 50-50 tie-breaking vote from 
Vice President Mike Pence. So far only two GOP senators -- Susan Collins 
of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska -- have said they'll oppose 
advancing Trump's nominee ahead of Election Day.

Jones said it's become clear his hope for some of his Republican 
colleagues to stand up "will be dashed," acknowledging however the 
resistance from Murkowski and Collins.

"There are already enough committed Republicans to confirm President 
Trump's nominee, regardless of who it is going to be ... The outcome is 
baked in, and it will happen in the latter part of October," he said.

A moderate Democrat in one of the toughest reelection fights this cycle, 
Jones said that while his vote on Trump's nominee will not affect the 
outcome, it will not be inconsequential.

The Alabama senator also reiterated he does not support adding more seats 
to the Supreme Court, a move some Democrats have suggested if Trump 
advances his nominee and Democrats retake the White House and control of 
the Senate after the election.

Trump has said he'll announce his Supreme Court pick on Saturday evening.


-- 
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.

Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in 
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016.  The clown car 
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump 
truck.

Congratulations President Trump.  Thank you for cleaning up the disaster 
of the Obama presidency.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the 
The World According To Garp.  Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood 
queer liberal democrat donors.

President Trump has boosted the economy, reduced illegal immigration, 
appointed dozens of judges and created jobs.

Senile loser and NAMBLA supporter Nancy Pelosi got "Trumped" on February 
5, 2020.  "President Trump, Not Guilty."