Mitt Romney peered through all the smoke and threats that Democrats have spewed since Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death last Friday and somehow found a lamp of truth shining through the obfuscation: do your constitutional duty.
The Utah Republican may be the most treacherous member of the US Senate – and that's saying a lot. Romney has backstabbed President Donald Trump, whose endorsement he courted in 2018, at most every opportunity. He ripped Trump for pulling troops out of Syria, pandered pathetically to Black Lives Matter protesters and became the first senator in history to vote to convict an impeached president from his own party.
After all that, he sent out what may be one of the most consequential tweets of the Trump era, saying Tuesday that he will consider the president's nominee to replace Ginsburg on the US Supreme Court and vote based on the judge's qualifications. If he follows through, his vote could seal the deal on getting Trump's nominee confirmed. The decision "is not the result of a subjective test of fairness, which, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. It is based on the immutable fairness of following the law," he wrote.
Bingo. As Romney went on to point out, the law – when it comes to confirming judges – is based on the Constitution and precedent. Even Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden said on Sunday that senators have a constitutional obligation to provide their "advice and consent" on any president's court nominee. Biden tried to argue that the Republican-controlled Senate's refusal in 2016 to consider President Barack Obama's nominee Merrick Garland nullified that obligation in an election year. But Romney rightly pointed out that the precedent is for the Senate to wait until after the election only when the president is from the opposing party.
The reasoning makes sense if, as Biden and the other Democrats argue, the goal is to reflect the will of voters. Voters expressed their will when they gave Republicans additional Senate seats in 2010, 2014 and 2018. They expressed their will again when they elected Trump in 2016, and as Ginsburg herself pointed out in 2016, "There's nothing in the Constitution that says the president stops being the president in his last year."
The seat came open during Trump's term, and it's his privilege and duty to fill it. Ginsburg could have retired in 2015 if she wanted to ensure that a Democrat president replaced her. Despite her age and health issues, she didn't.
Also on rt.com From honoring Ginsburg's 'final wish' to easing political strife, Biden counts reasons HE should nominate next Supreme Court judgeRomney was able to see through the various hysterical Democrat excuses for why the confirmation of a new justice should be delayed until after the election. One of the favorites echoed by Biden and most every talking mainstream-media head is that we need to honor Ginsburg's dying wish. She allegedly said her "most fervent wish" was not to replaced until a new president is installed. Suggesting that a deathbed statement trumps (pun intended) the Constitution is much like the Democrat argument that the nation's immigration policy must be set in accordance with a poem on the Statue of Liberty.
The other excuses were no more compelling, ranging from that Republicans sang a different tune in 2016 to "Orange Man Bad." Where excuses fell short, threats were piled on. An array of voices on the left said in various ways what former CNN host Reza Aslan summed up most clearly: "If they even try to replace RBG, we burn the entire f***ing thing down."
Romney saw through all that and stated the obvious, which of course brought an avalanche of hatred from the Democrats who supposedly respected him for his past finkery. Leftist writer Andrew Wortman called Romney a "f***ing coward" on Twitter, while actor John Ales said Utah voters should "retire you early, you spineless twat." Screenwriter Geoff Thorne predicted doom for Romney, tweeting "This is a mistake, one you won't be able to fix later . . . . We are on the lip of the end of the USA."
Other Twitter users called Romney "spineless" and argued that it didn't make sense for the senator to vote for Trump's removal and allow him to choose a Supreme Court justice the very same year. Some commenters said they felt betrayed, including one who said, "I almost had respect for you. Never again."
So Romney went from being painted as a Nazi by Democrats when he was running for president in 2012, to #Resistance hero when he supported Trump's impeachment, and now back to flaming fascist. The truth is, he was never a hero to the Democrats. Leftists wouldn't have crossed the street to pour a cup of water on him if Romney were on fire.
The left's circumstantial hatred and affection for Romney hopefully will be a lesson to him. Pandering and placating are foolish. Romney was never truly respected by Democrats. They appreciated his usefulness.
The left's unhinged reaction to Ginsburg's death and Romney's announcement also confirm the soundness of his decision. The goons who threaten to burn things down and hurt people if they don't get their way are not the people who should lecture us on just and fair decisions. The tyrants who try to rule by tantrum should gain no credibility from their extortionist behavior.
Threats that Democrats will "pack the court," eliminate the electoral college, etc., to seal their grip on power when they gain control of the White House and Senate – unless the Republicans back off – similarly ring hollow. These are things they plan to do anyway, if given the chance. These are not people who show restraint out of a sense of honor, respect for our system of government, or bipartisan spirit. They militate for power and control at every turn and never miss a chance to take more.
Romney is one of the many Republicans who have not shown such allegiance to the will of their voters. Republican voters overwhelmingly want Trump to fill Ginsburg's seat this year. The Constitution supports that view, and Romney is finally on the same side as his constituents.
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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.