from just a political science perspective that the middle of the court shifts to john roberts. it doesn t shift all the way to the furthest right person on the court. that s the new swing justice. there will always be a swing justice, it s just where that swing happens. and just to remind everyone, john roberts is a very good man. he h went on to point out chief justice john roberts sided with the lib rat court justices to preserve obamacare. now all eyes turn to the u.s. senate and the expected political confrontation over whomever the president chooses. phil rucker reports tonight that both democrats and republicans will use the supreme court va candy as a rallying cry. quote, the already ferocious nomination battle is likely to clarify the choices for voters in senate races across the country, strategists said. and impact other contests down the ballot. and even if republicans install a replacement for kennedy before the november election, the debate is still likely to thrust to t
breaking a filibuster for supreme court nominee that we want to cut some kind of a deal that either blocks gorsuch or will confirm gorsuch but any future nominees will have to meet that 60 vote threshold. is this likely are the republicans thinking about this? well, if they did, it would be the dumbest thing that they have ever considered. look, right now republicans are totally position today get neil gorsuch on the court without having to do any deals with the democrats. there s a talk of which mcconnell invoking the nuclear option which means that they would change the rules so that they could not have have a filibuster for supreme court nominees anymore and all they need to do as republicans stick together, 52 of them, that s what you need to change the rules. now, there may be a temptation for a few moderates but there s a lot of pressure on folks like susan collins and others to to move with mitch mcconnell and
nominees. in 2013 he did that. the supreme court ruled in 1982 that the senate had within its power to do except that any motion like that itself could be filibustered. harry reid is the guy who changed the filibuster that his been used since 1837. it s the senators reason for being, it s what distinguishes him from being more than house members. but he did that and now we are at this point and now the stakes are so high both for neil gorsuch and president trump and for the republicans that there is no option if the democrats insist on going down the strategy, to blow it up. paul: does he get confirmed, gorsuch? i think he absolutely gets confirmed. there s no way that three republicans could go along with chuck schumer and survive. paul: what do you think? how many votes? i think it s going to be close. i m not going to make the vote call but i think he s going to get confirmed. paul: kim, do you agree?