Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell are completely off the rails
The world lost a champion — a champion of women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and the rights of every man and woman in this country. The New York Times said that Ginsburg ascended to “late-life rock stardom.” Ginsburg has been a rock star since long before now. She was the second woman to sit on the Supreme Court, replacing Byron R. White, who retired after 31 years on the bench. Ginsburg would remain the lone female until President Barack Obama appointed two additional female justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. When Ginsburg was encouraged to retire during Obama’s second term, she declined, saying that she hoped the next president “will be a fine president.” Little did she know that Obama would be succeeded by the worst president in history. Ginsburg called Trump “a faker,” according to NYT, and she held on as long as she could to prevent him from stacking the court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Trump is champing at the proverbial bit to replace Ginsburg, even before she has been laid to rest. The push by Trump and McConnell is not only disrespectful, but it directly contradicts what McConnell did in the last eight months of President Obama’s final term. “President” Trump has less than two months until he likely loses. Where is the justification for this? According to New York Post, McConnell claims that things are “different” because they have a Republican majority in the Senate. That does not make “things different” it merely gives them a majority to do whatever they damn well please, tradition and earlier behavior notwithstanding. Showing his complete lack of care for Justice Ginsburg, McConnell’s announcement came one and a half hours after the Supreme Court announced her death. The Trump Republicans are nothing more than vultures in suits.
Senator Lisa Murkowski has already articulated her opposition to holding a vote this close to the election. Murkowski told the Post that she “did not support taking up a nomination eight months before the 2016 election … We are now even closer to the 2020 election, and I believe the same standard must apply.” Joining Murkowski in speaking against holding a vote is Susan Collins. If two additional Republican Senators join Murkowski and Collins, there will be no vote. This is a good time for Mitt Romney to step up.
Trump has now vowed to nominate a woman. Trump’s actions are so transparent that we can see Russia from Saran Palin’s porch through them. In addition to this declaration, Trump has pledged billions to Puerto Rico for relief from Hurricane Maria, which support was previously withheld, and he has been scrambling furiously to make a deal with pharmaceutical companies, which he ended up blowing.
Trump has been in office for almost four years. He could have accomplished any number of things to help the American people. Now that he is facing an uphill battle to reelection, he is trying to buy our votes. Trump and his fellow Republicans must go. One of their worst shows of disrespect has come courtesy of Justice Ginsburg’s death. We certainly cannot expect them to respect us.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years