Now that Republicans have entirely dug in their heels on obstructing Merrick Garland’s Supreme Court nomination, Democrats are seeing blue in more races than just the six swing-state GOP senators we keep hearing about: Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rob Portman of Ohio, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Charles Grassley of Iowa. Over the coming weeks, a group called Americans United for Change will be making a 9-9-9 tour, rolling billboard ads through nine states over nine days in support of confirming a ninth justice to the Supreme Court. Carl Hulse reports:
This recess, critics of the Republicans are adding Senators John McCain of Arizona, Roy Blunt of Missouri and Richard M. Burr of North Carolina to the target list, and they will also get the billboard treatment.
The expanded list not only makes it possible for the Democrats to use their catchy numerical title; it also shows they believe the Supreme Court fight is putting more Republican senators in potential jeopardy in November, and they are trying to take advantage of it.
One gauge of how the nomination issue plays in swing states came from a PPP poll Monday, which showed Ohio voters widely in favor of, at the very least, holding hearings for nominee Merrick Garland.
65% of voters think the Senate should have hearings on Garland's nomination to only 21% of voters opposed to doing so. That includes 75/10 support from Democrats, 75/11 from independents, and 47/38 even from Republicans for holding hearings.
A majority of Buckeyes (53 percent) also favor filling the seat this year. Oh, and Mitch McConnell has lower approval ratings in Ohio (14 percent) than an ant infestation at a BBQ.
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