Pelosi losing it: House will use 'every arrow in our quiver' to stop Trump Supreme Court nominee

Rema Rahman
The Hill
Sun, 20 Sep 2020 19:18 UTC

Nancy Pelosi

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Sunday the House had its "options" when asked about the possibility of impeaching President Trump and Attorney General William Barr should the White House and Senate Republicans jam a Supreme Court nominee through the process during a lame duck session after Election Day.

"We have our options, we have arrows in our quiver that I'm not about to discuss right now," Pelosi told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week. "But the fact is, we have a big challenge in our country. This president has threatened to not even accept the results of the election with statements that he and his henchmen have made. So right now, our main goal... would be to protect the integrity of the election as we protect the American people from the coronavirus."

Comment: Henchmen? Not accepting the results of the election. Serious projection going on here

• Hillary Clinton: Biden 'should not concede under any circumstances'
• Media aghast Trump won't pledge to 'accept' 2020 election result - as Hillary yet to admit her 2016 loss was legit

When Stephanopoulos pressed again about whether the House wouldn't "rule anything out," Pelosi pivoted toward the responsibilities of elected lawmakers.

"We have a responsibility, we take an oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States. We have a responsibility to meet the needs of the American people. When we weigh the equities of protecting our democracy, requires us to use every arrow in our quiver," Pelosi responded without going into detail of what option are on the table.

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday has thrown a new wrench into the 2020 presidential election, opening up the possibility that Trump would push a nominee through while he still had a GOP-led Senate until January.

When Stephanopoulos asked Pelosi if Democrats, should they win the majority in November, would expand the court in retaliation, Pelosi referred to a court battle over the Affordable Care Act.

"Let's just win the election. Let's hope the president will see the light," Pelosi said. "This is about the people. It's about their health, their economic well being, the health of our democracy. We have a great deal at stake here."

Comment: Not included in this article (why?) is that Pelosi's remarks were in the context of possibly putting impeachment back on the table, in order to block a Trump Supreme Court appointment.

The White House slammed Pelosi's suggestion, as a "bizarre and dangerous" power grab.

"The Speaker threatened to impeach the President — again — for simply fulfilling his constitutional obligation," White House Deputy Press Secretary Brian Morgenstern told Fox News. "Numerous Democrats are threatening to pack the court and say things like 'nothing is off the table.' These are bizarre and dangerous power grabs by Democrats who will stop at nothing to erode the Constitution to enact their radical agenda."

He added: "President Trump will fulfill his constitutional duty to protect our God given rights and do his part to fill the seat."

The House of Representatives, in December, voted to adopt two articles of impeachment against the president — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Meanwhile, the Guardian sings backup to the Hill:

With control of every branch of government now in the balance, liberal groups are redoubling their efforts, pressuring Senate Democrats to deploy every tactic possible to stop Trump seating a third justice.

Ed Markey was perhaps the first member of the Senate to suggest retaliating by expanding the court.

"Mitch McConnell set the precedent," the Massachusetts Democrat said on Twitter. "No supreme court vacancies filled in an election year. If he violates it, when Democrats control the Senate in the next Congress we must abolish the filibuster and expand the supreme court."

[...]

That sentiment is shared by Hillary Clinton, the 2016 presidential nominee who many believed would nominate Ginsburg's replacement.

Speaking on MSNBC, Clinton urged Senate Democrats "to use every single possible maneuver that is available" to stop McConnell filling the vacancy. She called the Senate majority leader's commitment to confirming Trump's nominee a "monument of hypocrisy" that would result in "the greatest travesty".

"Let's go down fighting," she said. "Let's not give an inch."

Cue the propaganda pollsters:

A majority of voters say President Trump should not nominate a Supreme Court justice this year, according to a snap poll released Saturday by YouGov.

The poll came less than a day after the U.S. Supreme Court announced liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday evening of complications from pancreatic cancer.

The poll found that 51 percent of voters believe Trump should not nominate another justice this year, while 42 percent said he should move forward with a nominee. A slight majority, 48 percent, believe the Senate should not confirm a nominee this year. Forty-five percent said the upper chamber should.

Forty-nine percent of respondents said they believe Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would "do a better job" picking a Supreme Court nominee, while 40 percent said Trump would. Eleven percent of respondents were undecided.

Which the (far more reliable and respectable) Rasmussen Reports immediately decried:

Aaand as a finale, Slick Willie puts on his 'elder statesman' shtick, going down memory lane regarding Ginsburg's nomination and criticizing McConnell: