QOTD -- Republican Court Packers

"Was it worth it?

Republican lawmakers must ask themselves this question at the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, whenever that is. Perhaps then they will finally inventory every misdeed they ignored or encouraged, every scar they seared into our republic and its institutions, in pursuit of their holy grail: another Supreme Court seat. [snip]

"The lure of packing the bench with conservative justices is presumably why Republican officials abandoned their putative commitments to limited government and free markets. It’s why they tossed aside free trade, fiscal responsibility; and their support for not “picking winners and losers,” not weaponizing government might to reward friends and punish perceived enemies.

"It’s how the “party of family values” justified electing its thrice-married leader, who has been publicly accused of sexual assault by more than two dozen women. A man who boasted of grabbing women by their genitals, who allegedly slept with a porn star shortly after his wife had their child.

"It’s how the “Party of Lincoln” excused overt bigotry against Muslims; against U.S.- born congresswomen of color who should “go back to” where they came from; against immigrants from “sh--hole countries”; against ethnic minorities who don’t share Trump supporters’ “good genes.” It’s how they brushed off his birtherism, his embrace of neo-Nazis at Charlottesville, his retweets of white supremacists, and the allegedly discriminatory housing policies that long predated Trump’s political career." -- Catherine Rampell writes about the trades rotted- out Republicans made in selling out democracy.  Please read the rest of her op/ed -- it's well- deserved takedown of this collection of spineless rats calling themselves a party.  In the final accounting, we have to make damn sure it wasn't worth it.