Grassley has long used the idea that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit doesn’t need more judges as an pretext for not confirming Democratic presidents’ nominees to the “second-most-powerful court” in the country.. -promoted by desmoinesdem

jiu jitsu politics 101

I know we’re all getting upset over the stalled Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland. President Obama is trying to get things done and the Republican’ts won’t let him. It’s unconscionable, it’s unAmerican and pretty damn unctuous.

But consider this… Why would BO pick this (conservative but) consistently fair guy to the court knowing that the petulant children on the Hill will sooner pass a kidney stone than confirm his pick for anything other than…well, anything?

I didn’t understand until I read this piece from Reuters that reminded us Garland and Grassley have some ‘history’ I hadn’t seen before.

Grassley blocked Garland’s appointment by then-President Bill Clinton to the Court of Appeals in 1997. At that time the Grassley-led ideological battle was about the number of judges needed on the Court of Appeals. Then as now, Merrick became a pawn in Grassley’s weird game of Who’s the Biggest A##hole.”

Maddening huh? Please consider this: Do you really think that the White House team didn’t already know about Hungry Chuck’s aversion to all things Garland? Speaking of eleventy-seven dimensional chess, have you not seen Barack and team, outsmart his adversaries at practically every PR and critical legislative turn for seven point five years?

So yes, poor Merrick has been caught up yet again but since many of you were complaining about Garland’s lack of progressive street cred, do you really care? Isn’t it rather delicious knowing that Grassley’s 82-years hardened attitudes will prevent him from doing anything remotely sensible at least through the election cycle. The more we see this cantankerous, snake-eyed, anti-yoda standing in the way of the 21st century, he (and King, and maybe Ernst) will become the local poster children of obstructionism and, let’s be clear, spinelessness when it comes to meeting the needs of actual humans instead of empty tea party or palinesque talking points.

Obama turning the tables on these clowns is all in a days work for him, but watching Grassley slowly turning to stone for the next 7 months will be fun before sensible Iowa voters turn this past-his-sell-by-date hack the door (of course we’ll honor him with a gold watch, did you think we’re heartless?)

Bottom Line: Hungry Chuck is holding the Supreme Court (and by extension, potentially millions of citizens who’s lives and livelihoods may depend on the decisions that this now-shorthanded court may render) hostage to a largely ideological battle that has consumed his tiny brain for two decades. He’s still fighting the last war while the country is manifestly unprepared for the new battles ahead. I know Iowans are not perfect (heck, I’m one; I oughta know) but I’ve known way too many of you for too many decades to believe that you acquiesce to this asinine charade. Ia. Dems be it Hogg or Judge, figure it out and show hungry Chuck the door.

In the meantime, witness the Chinese finger trap that BO has wrought on the GOP using their own tiny brains against them. Priceless.