Risk Their Own Seats Or Demoralize Liberal Voters? Red-State Dems Caught Between Rock And Hard Place
The upcoming battle over the Supreme Court nominee may prove tricky for Democratic senators who come from more conservative states. “You deserve a senator who doesn’t just talk like he’s from Montana,” President Donald Trump said as he stepped up pressure on one of the senators, Jon Tester, the conservative state’s two-term Democrat. “You deserve a senator who actually votes like he’s from Montana.”
The New York Times:
‘It’s A Terrible Vote’: Red-State Democrats Face An Agonizing Supreme Court Choice
Democratic senators running for re-election in Trump Country face an agonizing choice over President Trump’s coming Supreme Court nominee: Vote to confirm the pick and risk demoralizing Democratic voters ahead of the midterm elections, or stick with the party and possibly sacrifice their own seats — and any chance at a Democratic majority in 2019. The actions of a handful of Senate Democrats struggling to hold their seats in red states where Mr. Trump remains popular — notably Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia — will have broad implications for the party at a critical political juncture. (Hulse, 7/7)
Politico:
‘The Super Bowl Of Politics’: Trump’s Team Readies For Supreme Court Battle
In a sparsely decorated “war room” next to the West Wing on the White House grounds, Trump administration officials have been preparing for the president’s Supreme Court pick with an anything-can-happen approach to the historic task. With the knowledge that President Donald Trump could change his mind at the last minute — and with the president’s obsession to keep his final decision tightly held — Trump aides and Republicans familiar with the planning told POLITICO they initially were prepping for two possible nominees. (Cadelago, 7/8)
The Associated Press:
What To Expect In The Supreme Court Confirmation Battle
The coming battle over a Supreme Court nominee promises to be a bruising one. Republicans are eager for conservatives to gain a firm majority on the court. Democrats are voicing alarm about what the new justice could mean for charged issues such as abortion rights and gay rights. The stakes are enormous, and advocacy groups that don't have to unveil their donors are spending heavily to shape the fight. (7/9)
The Hill:
Dem Senator Promises 'Tough Questions' On Reproductive Rights For Trump Supreme Court Pick
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said Sunday that he will ask President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee “really tough questions” on reproductive rights. Blumenthal told New York AM 970 radio host John Catsimatidis in an interview broadcast Sunday that he has “deep and serious concerns” about Trump’s top picks for the court. (Thomsen, 7/8)
