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This week the Senate is slated to vote on the worst judicial nominee yet to hit the floor. It's the unindicted co-conspirator's biggest "fuck you" yet to Democrats, one that Mitch McConnell is happy to reinforce. The nominee is Thomas Farr, slated for a district court seat in North Carolina.
That would be the state where Farr worked to defend some of the most egregious and racist voter suppression laws any state has passed in the 21st century. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) calls Farr "probably the worst of the litter" of Trump's judicial nominees.
"It's hard to believe President Trump nominated him, and it's even harder to believe the Senate Republicans are considering it again," said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, except that it's not. Racist voter suppression laws are going to be the one thing that could potentially save a Republican Senate majority and a Republican White House in two years. They need to cheat to win and if that means letting all their white supremacism show, so be it.
This is also McConnell and Trump giving yet another finger to former President Barack Obama. He had twice nominated Black women to fill the vacancy, the longest-standing one in the nation, and those nominees never even got a hearing in McConnell's Senate. There couldn't be a more purposefully Putting a nominee that is roundly opposed by Black lawmakers and civil rights groups up for the post. That includes Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum, both of whom narrowly lost their races for governor in Georgia and Florida. They released a joint statement, saying "When it comes to the trifecta of voter disenfranchisement.[...] Thomas Farr is, sadly, one of the most experienced election lawyers in the country."
One Black lawmaker has been conspicuously quiet thus far. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is the only Black Republican in the Senate. He torpedoed one racist Trump nominee already, Ryan Bounds. He could end this one, too. Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) will not vote for a Trump judicial nominee unless and until McConnell has a floor vote on legislation to protect the Mueller investigation. All 49 Democrats are steadfastly opposed to Farr. Flake makes it a 50-50 vote, Scott could scotch it altogether.
And in case you're wondering, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is completely on board with this latest shameful display of racism from her party.