OPINION:
Civility used to be the blunt instrument the left wielded to claim a self-righteous moral high ground on legislative matters. Anytime conservatives used a bit of pluck to object to a liberal power grab, they would be condemned as uncouth.
Collegiality is officially dead in the U.S. Senate. Not one of President Trump’s political nominees has been afforded the courtesy of being approved by voice vote, something that has never happened before. In the 1990s, the Senate voted unanimously to confirm 98% of President Clinton’s nominees to judgeships and administration posts. Nine out of 10 of President Obama’s picks sailed through without opposition.
Mr. Trump is calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, to stay in session through August to clear the backlog or, failing that, to get rid of the “blue slip” policy that allows individual senators to place holds on nominees from their state.
With 1,100 positions awaiting action in the upper chamber, the confirmation process grinds to a halt without cooperation. “I am hoping [Democrats] will work with us, come to their senses in the next few days here to try and put together a package of nominees,” Mr. Thune said. “There are whole bunch of bipartisan nominees that are out there, that are available for consideration right now.”
Among those stuck in limbo are two dozen ambassadorial candidates who will play mostly ceremonial roles. Leaving such posts vacant around the globe undermines America’s standing on the world stage, but Democrats don’t care.
A highly theatrical Sen. Cory A. Booker screamed a series of false justifications for his obstructionism on the Senate floor. “For us to move forward as a body is to be complicit in what Donald Trump is doing. I say, ‘No.’”
The New Jersey Democrat asserted that the administration was rounding up people “with a right to be in this country,” unaware that the Kilmar Abrego Garcia “Maryland Man” story has been exposed as a hoax. Far from being a sympathetic citizen, Mr. Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien facing human trafficking charges.
Mr. Booker also pretends that CBS didn’t fire Stephen Colbert because of his rock-bottom television ratings. “I see businesses taking late night talk show hosts off the air because they dare to insult a president,” Mr. Booker said. “That is complicity with an authoritarian leader who is trashing our constitution. It’s time for Democrats to have a backbone, it’s time for us to fight, it’s time to draw a line.”
It appears the likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender has had many therapy sessions with pollsters who recognize that the public sees left-of-center politicians as weak. Mr. Booker overcompensates with histrionics.
The American people are smart enough to recognize the difference between a bloodied Donald Trump yelling “Fight, fight, fight” and a pampered senator tilting at imaginary causes with the same word.
Rhetoric can’t save a party that hasn’t had an original idea in a decade. Impotent rage won’t persuade any of Mr. Trump’s new voters to return to the Democratic fold. Earlier this year, Mr. Booker tied up business with a marathon 25-hour rant that wasn’t a filibuster. As it didn’t block any legislation, it was merely a performative gesture for a politician desperate for attention.
Democrats could see some success by finding common ground with Republicans while engaging in strategic fights on contentious topics. Anything else is just for show.
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