With Maine Senator Susan Collins and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski worried about independent voters, it appears Utah Senator Mitt Romney will deliver the pivotal support to shepherd the president’s U.S. Supreme Court nomination across the finish line.
“The Constitution gives the President the power to nominate and the Senate the authority to provide advice and consent on Supreme Court nominees,” Senator Romney said. “Accordingly, I intend to follow the Constitution and precedent in considering the President’s nominee. If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications.”
Romney and President Donald Trump have been embroiled in a publicly messy feud dating back to the 2016 primary. It appeared the pair would bury the hatchet after discussing the possibility the former GOP candidate for president would lead the U.S. Department of State. But President Trump’s decision to go in a different direction left Romney bitter.
Repeatedly criticizing the most pro-American policies of a generation and at times voting with resist and obstruct Democrats, the senator stooped so low he hid behind the Twitter name “Pierre Delecto” to push anti-Trump messaging on social media. The question many voters are asking is whether the Mormon senator can redeem himself by helping to secure a conservative-minded Supreme Court majority for decades.
“My liberal friends have over many decades gotten very used to the idea of having a liberal court, and that’s not written in the stars. It’s also appropriate for a nation, which is, if you will, center-right to have a court which reflects a center-right point of view,” Romney stated.
A Gallup poll conducted in January supports the senator’s assessment of American sentiments. The study indicates that 37 percent of citizens consider themselves conservative and 35 percent identify as moderate. Only 24 percent went on the record as liberals.
Far-left Democrats insist the vacancy left by the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg should remain open for the next administration. But the revered justice, who was seated in just 42 days, pointed out that the sitting president has a constitutional duty to fill her post.
“The president is elected for four years, not three years,” Justice Ginsburg reportedly said. “So, the power that he has in year three continues into year four, and maybe some members of the Senate will wake up and appreciate that that’s how it should be.”
High-profile Republicans have already gone on the record stating they have an aggressive strategy in place to fill the vacancy before the election.
“Justice Stevens’ entire confirmation process could have been played out twice — twice between now and November 3 with time to spare, and Justice Ginsburg herself could have been confirmed twice between now and the end of the year,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “The Senate has more than sufficient time to process a nomination. History and precedent make that perfectly clear.”
Now that the GOP’s wayward son appears to have returned to the fold, President Trump can ensure fair decisions based on the U.S. Constitution regardless of the outcome of the November election.
