'A Power Grab, Plain And Simple': Chuck Todd Confronts GOP Senator's Hypocrisy
Senator John Barrasso confirms that Republicans make up the rules as they go along and only follow rules that benefits their party and power.
The GOP is the party of liars, cheaters and anti-American scumbags. They take every opportunity to tear down American institutions, strip citizens of healthcare, food, clean water and a livable wage. The goal of their entire party is to steal and hold on to power. As their demographic groups continues to die off (old white men), they are even more desperate to cheat their way into power.
With the sudden death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Friday, the Senate GOP, Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell are salivating at the chance to put another conservative Christian on the bench, just in time to hear arguments regarding abortion, the ACA and potential challenges to the 2020 Election! Mind you, Mitch McConnell refused to allow Merrick Garland to go up for a vote because it was in an election year - but over 200 days out. We are around 50 days out and the GOP is apparently fine with breaking THEIR OWN RULES if it means they win.
We must vote them all out. Literally, every single one. They are scumbags. Even Chuck Todd was calling Sen. Barrasso out on Meet the Press on Sunday for the rank hypocrisy of the GOP.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Well, first, let's be very clear. If the shoe were on the other foot and the Democrats had the White House and the Senate, they would right now be trying to confirm another member of the Supreme Court. What we're proposing --
CHUCK TODD: You don't know that.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: -- is completely consistent, completely consistent with the precedent. What happened in 2016, and let's go back, we were following the Joe Biden rule. Joe Biden was clearly -- was clear when he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee. And he said, "When there is a Senate of one party and a White House of the other," and he said this to George Herbert Walker Bush, he said, "if there's a vacancy in that final year, we will not confirm." And that's what we did --
CHUCK TODD: Senator.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: -- with Merrick Garland. But 29 times, Chuck, there have been vacancies in the year of a presidential election. And if both the White House and the Senate are of the same party, they go forward with the confirmation.
CHUCK TODD: So, you know, I scoured -- I have scoured all of these 2016 notes looking for these footnotes that have been added now. You guys have this new explanation. Never once -- on the Senate floor, "When an election is just months away in 2016," you said that, "people should be allowed to consider possible Supreme Court nominees as one factor in deciding who they'll support for president. This shouldn't even really be controversial." Then you said, "This is not about the person. It's about the principle involved, and I want to give the American people a voice in this." Republicans have said there should not be a bitter political fight. "We have called on the president to spare the country this fight. The best way to avoid the fight is to agree to let the people decide." Senator, these are your words. Not once did you say, "Oh, it depends on what party the Senate holds versus the party of the president." This just sounds like a power grab, pure and simple.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Well, it is the Biden rule. And this is the way, this is the precedent of the country. You haven't had --
CHUCK TODD: There is no Biden rule.
There is NO Biden rule. This is a LIE. A flat out LIE. McConnell created a fake rule to block Merrick Garland. That is it. Plain and simple. And now the GOP is flat out lying AGAIN about ANOTHER fake rule. Chuck Todd ended by actually taking a pretty hard stand, considering his normal interviewing standards -- he called the Republicans HYPOCRITES!
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: This is the consistent principle and policies that have been followed through the history of the United States when 29 vacancies occurred in years of presidential elections. We're going to be consistent with all of that. But you're right. There's an election coming up. Every Senate candidate and every senator speaks for himself or herself. As chairman of the conference, I have great respect for that. But each one is going to be called upon to make a decision in their role as advise and consent. The president is going to nominate, and we're going to vote this year, Chuck.
VOTE. THEM. OUT.