Danny De Gracia: Sen. Mazie Hirono Will Tar And Feather Any Trump Court Nominee
The rush to appoint a new Supreme Court justice before the election will backfire on conservatives and incense the American voters who don’t want a pre-election nominee.
Danny de Gracia is a resident of Waipahu, a political scientist and an ordained minister.
Danny holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and minor in Public Administration from UT San Antonio, 2001; a Master of Arts in聽 Political Science (concentration International Organizations) and minor in Humanities from Texas State University, 2002.
He received his聽Doctor of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary in 2013 and Doctor of Ministry in 2014.
Danny received his Ordination from United Fellowship of Christ Ministries International, (Non-Denominational Christian), in 2002.
Danny is also a member of the Waipahu Neighborhood Board, a position he’s held since 2023. His opinions are strictly his own.
President Donald Trump says , he will announce his replacement for the U.S. Supreme Court seat vacated with the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last week.
Lines in the sand are about to be drawn. And Hawaii, as small as this state may be, is about to become a stumbling block of woe to conservative aspirations of glory with Sen. Mazie Hirono ready to resist any attempts to fill Justice Ginsburg鈥檚 seat before the Nov. 3 election.
Shortly after the news of Ginsburg鈥檚 passing Hirono鈥檚 office聽聽in which the senator explained, 鈥淚 have a very simple message for Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell tonight. The best and only way to honor the life鈥檚 work of Justice Ginsburg, a giant of a jurist, is to honor her fervent final wish that she not be replaced until a new president is installed.鈥
On MSNBC鈥檚 鈥淎ll In,鈥 Hirono would also say, 鈥淣ote that the day that Justice Scalia died, that is when Mitch McConnell made the announcement that it would be appropriate for the voters to decide in the election, which was many, many months away. Scalia passed away in February. He makes an announcement in February the election isn鈥檛 until November, 聽is very much something that I hope will move the Republicans, but we shall see.鈥
鈥淲e shall see鈥 is Mazie-talk for 鈥淒on鈥檛 even try it, Republicans.鈥
Hirono has been the bane of White House appointments brought before the Senate since President Trump first took office.聽Nicknamed 鈥渁 badass鈥聽by Democratic senators for her ferocious attacks on聽 the Hawaii senator, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made a name for herself 聽whether or not they had a history of sexual assault or sexual harassment.
During the confirmation hearings of now-Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, Hirono put Trump鈥檚 nominee through a 鈥渏ob interview鈥 that was more like a political meat grinder. Hirono鈥檚 fusillade of questions turned what was intended to be a conservative coronation into a wild expose of Kavanaugh鈥檚 emotional temperament and past behavior.
While Kavanaugh in the end was confirmed to the court, Hirono鈥檚 nonstop pressure sent a message to President Trump and conservatives that anyone who faces Senate advise and consent will do so at their own peril. That鈥檚 the price of being a Republican with political aspirations in Trumpworld, at least so long as Hirono is in office.
Not A Game Of Checkers, But Chess
The death of Ginsburg has long been anticipated by Republicans, and among evangelicals a 鈥減rophecy鈥 had been circulating last year during which it was discussed how her 鈥渞emoval鈥 could bring about the appointment of a female justice who would 鈥渢ip the scales of the U.S. Supreme Court toward constitutional conservativism, in Jesus鈥 Name.鈥
Republicans may believe that all it takes to make history is the will of a single man, but just because the Constitution gives the president the authority to make appointments does not mean it is in the best interest of domestic tranquility, which is the real intent behind the document. Just four years ago, then-candidate , saying the Senate should 鈥渨ait it out鈥 and that 鈥渢he next president should make the pick, and I think (Garland) shouldn鈥檛 go forward.鈥
Now, in 2020, President Trump聽. 鈥淲e were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us,鈥 the president posted on Twitter, saying further, 鈥淲e have this obligation, without delay!鈥
If conservatives truly believe Trump will win re-election, then why the rush to appoint a replacement with one month to the election?
Trump may have won conservative holdouts in 2016 by promising conservative appointments, but if he wants to win in 2020, he shouldn鈥檛 put forward a replacement before the election. Not only would this game of conservative checkers backfire with liberal personalities like Hirono emerging to tar and feather whoever gets nominated, but it would incense the American population which also .
Trump鈥檚 鈥済ift鈥 has always been to make conservatives advocate the most nonsensical and extreme positions in defense of his policies to their own detriment. Hirono and other Senate Democrats know this all too well, and should Trump or someone similar, conservatism would get justice at the Pyrrhic price of discrediting the ideology or even losing the election.
Republicans are so confident that polls showing Joe Biden in the lead are fake 鈥 just like coronavirus case numbers, apparently 鈥 that Trump will win in a landslide 鈥渂ased on internal polling.鈥
If this is true, then why the rush to appoint a replacement with one month to the election? This is a long game of chess, not checkers.
Hawaii, and indeed, all of Washington, D.C., should know that Sen. Hirono is out there, and if Trump nominates a replacement for Ginsburg this week, he does so at great political peril. As , Senate Democrats have turned the work of advise and consent into 鈥渟earch and destroy.鈥 And liberals are only getting started.
Want to see Sen. Mazie Hirono arise as the Democratic Party鈥檚 conservative dragon slayer? Appoint a replacement for Ginsburg before Nov. 3, and you鈥檒l see.
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Danny de Gracia is a resident of Waipahu, a political scientist and an ordained minister.
Danny holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and minor in Public Administration from UT San Antonio, 2001; a Master of Arts in聽 Political Science (concentration International Organizations) and minor in Humanities from Texas State University, 2002.
He received his聽Doctor of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary in 2013 and Doctor of Ministry in 2014.
Danny received his Ordination from United Fellowship of Christ Ministries International, (Non-Denominational Christian), in 2002.
Danny is also a member of the Waipahu Neighborhood Board, a position he’s held since 2023. His opinions are strictly his own.
The title of this article says a lot - "Sen. Mazie Hirono Will Tar And Feather Any Trump Court Nominee".This is why I'm so sick and tired and disgusted with partisan politics. No matter WHO Trump nominates, Hirono will be against the individual? Do qualifications, experience and fitness for the position count for nothing? Regardless of what has transpired in the past, I've always believed that these things do聽count. I was raised in a Democratic household, but am now beholding to neither party. Both parties are so biased, playing their games and pandering to the media, that the public has been swayed as to what is right and what is wrong. Just look at the most of the comments before me.聽
tiredandretired·
4 years ago
Frankly the GOP can do whatever it pleases, but beware, after a Biden victory there will soon be additional justices added by a Democratic controlled Senate.
moc·
4 years ago
I would wish that Mazie Hirono would spend less time bashing Trump and more time actually doing something for our State.
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