Now that Democrats have 41 confirmed votes in the Senate, enough to sustain a filibuster on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, the CORPservatives running the GOP will put pressure on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to call for the "nuclear option" to bring confirmation down to a simple majority vote.
We must prevent that right now, and here's a way how. If the GOP can't muster that simple majority, even the nuclear option won't force this enemy of the common man onto SCOTUS with his corporatist rulings stinging us for decades.
The GOP has a slim 52 to 48 margin in the Senate. We must look to which Republicans come from purple states, preferably with an election looming in 2018. They know that the GOP brand is in free-fall and standing against the majority on allowing the nuclear option may the best way to get reelected. And we have a way to help them see that that is the savvy choice: the Pavlovian way.
It's called "9 for a Spine." The way it works is this:
- call up the Senator's office and say exactly this: "I am a Democrat but will donate to Senator ______'s reelection fund as part of the '9 for a Spine' campaign if he chooses to vote no on allowing the nuclear option to be used to dismantle the filibuster over the confirmation of Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. My donation, and all others in this campaign, will be in an increment that ends in 9, such as $19 or $39 or $99. By seeing how many donations end in 9, Senator _______ will see just how many of us support his (her) bold action. Despite our political differences, we feel that exhibiting the spine it takes to go against the Republican leadership on this is a very American act. This courage will lead to a better America, and frankly a longer shelf-life for the GOP because adding Justice Gorsuch in this extreme manner will be seen as a highly partisan power play after denying Merrick Garland even a hearing. In the months that follow a Gorsuch confirmation, the disastrous ramifications for the middle class will prove once and for all that the GOP is out for CEOs not Average Joes, and the GOP will crumble." Also cut and paste this message to put into an email to this Senator.
- after a couple of days, all staffers may be familiar with 9 for a Spine. You can preface the above by first asking, "Are you familiar with 9 for a Spine?" If no, continue with the above, if yes, please just say, "Please count me as another prepared to contribute to Senator ______'s campaign if he (she) displays the spine that he (she) knows in his (her) heart to be the honorable path."
- when the nuclear option vote is cast and the Senator stands against it, submit your contribution ending in 9 and then call back to confirm it with their office.
This must be started NOW, before the Friday vote on Gorsuch. Please contact every organization that you know that will be effected by a staunchly CORPservative Supreme Court and ask them to start their own 9 for a Spine campaign through their email system. If enough of us make these calls and commit to these donations, not only will each Senator in question fully understand the value of what we propose, he or she may realize that the path forward in their career may just include switching parties.
Use these hashtags:
#9ForASpine
#NoNuclearOption
And if you prefer a stick to a carrot, tell the Senator that a vote to end the filibuster for SCOTUS confirmations will result in him or her being an:
#FTR
#FinalTermRepublican
#BlueWave2018
willing to put
#RepubloFascism
over the needs of the #99percent
Also include in your tweets #TheResistance #Indivisible #OurRevolution and whatever other progressive voices you champion. Let's put our voices, and our dollars, into ensuring that a horrific victory for Trump never happens.