Neil Gorsuch was well qualified, as was Merrick Garland before him

To The Daily Sun,

Nick Crosby Of Groton suggested that if Neil Gorsuch couldn't garner the 60 votes required he shouldn't have been confirmed to the Supreme cCurt. A decade ago I might have agreed with Nick. Not today. Getting a new judge on the court, like everything else in Washington, has fallen to the most bitter brand of partisan politics. Not agreeing with a nominees court decision is insufficient evidence to deny anyone confirmation. The more important question is do such candidates reveal a history of competency to defend our Constitution as best they interpret it. By every measure, Neil Gorsuch exhibits that qualification, as did the Democrats nominee, Merrick Garland, before him.

The problem is, The Supreme Court, like all else in politics, has become a race to the bottom of the "integrity cesspool," with each party doing their utmost to outmaneuver for political advantage. Democrats don't want a conservative leaning jurist. The Republicans don't want a liberal leaning one. Every Supreme Court "chess play" is now in play in Washington politics, including changing rules of the Senate that had been in place for 200 years.

In 2013, Democrat Harry Reid, Senate majority leader, shredded almost all the old rules in order to pack the D.C. federal courts with the liberal judges required to cram down Obama's agenda. Many of those most liberal judges would have NEVER have been confirmed under the existing rules. That's why Reid changed them when Democrats held the Senate majority. The Republicans have now finished the work Harry Reid's started. Judges will be confirmed to the Supreme Court with a simply majority. Not 60 votes.

Let the the full "sanitizing" light of the day shine on this issue. Tim Kane, Hillary's running mate, in a speech just prior to the election, when Democrats were still quite certain they would win said, "the Supreme Court would not be held hostage to obstruction by the Republican Party in filling the vacate seat. Democrats would do WHAT EVER was required to fill the seat." This was a loud, clear warning shot. Democrats would CHANGE the last Senate rule if Republicans played the games Democrats just concluded. It is also true both Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer are on the record supporting the same Supreme Court "delaying tactics" used by Republicans to ignore Garland in an election year when Democrats found themselves in that same position. Republicans got the idea to delay Supreme Court confirmation from Democrats, and they got the idea to shred the old Senate rules from Democrats.

Tony Boutin

Gilford