Looks Like McConnell Wants GOP-Appointed Judges to Retire Now Because He Fears Trump Loss in 2020
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has a singularity of purpose and one job in mind: pack the federal courts with Federalist Society-approved judges. To that end, the senior senator from the Bluegrass State is now making the rounds and making some calls, seemingly because he thinks the likelihood of a Trump reelection victory and continued GOP Senate control post-2020 is waning.
According to the New York Times, McConnell is currently in the process of asking GOP-appointed judges who are eligible for retirement to buy that little judicial farm in Florida and get off the bench posthaste.
Citing “multiple people with knowledge of his actions,” the outlet reports that McConnell has been reaching out to such judges and promising to replace them with like-minded so-called strict constructionist judges. Per that report:
And with the Dow dropping into various shades of carmine, crimson and claret–with Goldman Sachs estimating 1929-style economic turmoil, and with no end to the pandemic-cum-panic ignited by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)–that might be the shrewd and obvious move here.
Liberals, however, are none-too-pleased.
“This is incredibly unseemly, at the least, for McConnell to be personally reaching out to judges and urging them to retire to help further partisan court-packing,” complained civil rights attorney Sasha Samberg-Champion.
”Mitch McConnell is directly pressuring sitting judges to retire to manufacture new vacancies for Trump to fill with younger nominees,” noted progressive judicial advocacy group Demand Justice’s Executive Director Brian Fallon. “This is conservative court packing.”
But not everyone is convinced McConnell’s reported outreach to judges will work.
“Federal judges have very strong independent streaks, and you can’t make them do it,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who sits on the Judiciary Committee, told the Times. “Unless they see some benefit to themselves, I don’t expect people to do it.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has a singularity of purpose and one job in mind: pack the federal courts with Federalist Society-approved judges. To that end, the senior senator from the Bluegrass State is now making the rounds and making some calls, seemingly because he thinks the likelihood of a Trump reelection victory and continued GOP Senate control post-2020 is waning.
According to the New York Times, McConnell is currently in the process of asking GOP-appointed judges who are eligible for retirement to buy that little judicial farm in Florida and get off the bench posthaste.
Citing “multiple people with knowledge of his actions,” the outlet reports that McConnell has been reaching out to such judges and promising to replace them with like-minded so-called strict constructionist judges. Per that report:
“It looks like McConnell is worried about a victory for Democrats in November,” noted former assistant U.S. Attorney Renato Mariotti.
And with the Dow dropping into various shades of carmine, crimson and claret–with Goldman Sachs estimating 1929-style economic turmoil, and with no end to the pandemic-cum-panic ignited by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)–that might be the shrewd and obvious move here.
Liberals, however, are none-too-pleased.
“This is incredibly unseemly, at the least, for McConnell to be personally reaching out to judges and urging them to retire to help further partisan court-packing,” complained civil rights attorney Sasha Samberg-Champion.
”Mitch McConnell is directly pressuring sitting judges to retire to manufacture new vacancies for Trump to fill with younger nominees,” noted progressive judicial advocacy group Demand Justice’s Executive Director Brian Fallon. “This is conservative court packing.”
But not everyone is convinced McConnell’s reported outreach to judges will work.
“Federal judges have very strong independent streaks, and you can’t make them do it,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who sits on the Judiciary Committee, told the Times. “Unless they see some benefit to themselves, I don’t expect people to do it.”
