Joe Manchin (“D”-W.Va.) says Chuck Schumer can “Kiss my you-know-what”.
“My decision won’t have anything to do with Chuck Schumer,” says Joe Donnelly (“D”-Ind.)
Claire McCaskill (“D”-Mo.) says “I’m going to do what I think is right. It has nothing to do with the party.”
You know, I can dig being independent and voting your conscience. Most of the time. But the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is one of those cases where a Senator’s conscience shouldn’t matter. The only question is whether Democrats are going to roll over and let Trump appoint a second justice when he should only be on his first — and in an election year, in contravention of the McConnell Rule.
There are times when members of a party must stand with the party, regardless of their personal views. If this does not qualify as such a time for Sens. Manchin, Donnelly, and McCaskill (and possibly Heitkamp, who voted for Gorsuch) then what the hell does?
If Chuck Schumer can’t count on your “no” vote here, in one of the most important votes the Senate will take during this Congress, when can he count on it? And if he can’t ever count on it, why are you even Democrats?