Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-ME) is doing her usual "see? Republicans are really reasonable" routine on President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. That's her role, the one Republican leadership lets her take so that they can show that they have someone who is not a rabid extremist in the party.
"I think it’s simply not fair and not right to say that no matter who the President was going to nominate, that we should not look at this person the way that we normally would do," she told the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. "That doesn’t mean that I’ve reached a decision on Judge Merrick [Garland]. That’s what the process is for."
Collins has previously said that she believes the Senate should hold hearings and that she was willing to meet with Garland. On Wednesday, she said she would meet with Garland in early April. […]
"I have had conversations with my colleagues," she said. "I wouldn’t say I’ve been overwhelmingly successful in convincing the chairman of the Judiciary Committee to hold hearings, but I hope that as time goes on, and as people sit down with Judge Garland and talk to him one-on-one, that perhaps there will be a shift in the position of the chairman of the Judiciary Committee."
If Collins really thought Republicans were being "unfair" and it was a big deal, she'd do a real protest, like leave the party and become an independent. She won't do that. If she really meant it, she'd have done that years ago.
Meanwhile, Sen. Pat Toomey has become the latest Republican who is pretending to be reasonable, saying that he'll meet with Garland "out of courtesy and respect for both the president and the judge," but draws the line at that. He'll tell Garland that the confirmation won't happen "until after the American people weigh in and select a new president, and I believe that is the best approach for deciding whether to alter the balance of the Supreme Court." Like that'll make a difference in the blockade, or in the campaign against him. This isn't going to save Toomey from a tough re-election.
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