Apparently, some Republicans actually are capable of feeling shame. That won’t make them change their mind about blockading President Obama's eventual Supreme Court nominee, but at least they're embarrassed by their actions.
Several senators ran away from The Huffington Post this week as we tried to ask if they thought a Supreme Court nominee should get a hearing.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said she had to "go vote," even though she could have talked as she walked to an elevator down the hall. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) didn't even let HuffPost get the full question out before saying, "I don't do hallway interviews." Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) said he had to "run to a meeting" and disappeared into an elevator. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) listened to the question and, with a blank look, said, "I'm not doing any interviews."
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) -- chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where majority support is needed to advance the nomination—attempted to shield himself from cameras by raising "a binder to cover his face" while exiting the Senate chamber on Wednesday. He opposes the prospect of even meeting Obama's potential nominee, a hard-line stance Democrats hope to exploit during Grassley's re-election fight later this year.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) dodged questions about a potential backlash toward Republicans for vowing to block Obama's Supreme Court pick before the president has even named one.
"I'll let Sen. Grassley talk about it," Flake said.
Regular profiles in courage, there.
A reporter trying to get endangered incumbent Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey to talk about the nomination was snappishly told to "move back so that my elevator can go down." And Mitch McConnell? He skipped town as soon as he could, leaving Thursday afternoon to avoid a meeting that the White House was attempting to schedule with him, President Obama, and Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley.
These guys are all class. Donald Trump will be their perfect standard-bearer.