Steve Benen has been taking some delight in the antics of Senator Grassley, who represents our neighbors to the south, aka the good people of Iowa. In particular, Senator Grassley, running for re-election this year, is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
But the GOP senator’s support for an unprecedented blockade against any Supreme Court nominee, sight unseen, has cast Grassley in an even less flattering light. The Iowa Republican, unable to defend his ridiculous antics, has become so embarrassed that last week he “raised a binder to cover his face before hurriedly retreating” from reporters on Capitol Hill with questions about his behavior.
But I’d like to say I’m 100% behind the good Senator’s actions regardless of what he does. Why?
If he reverses field and does begin a normal procedure for Obama’s nominee to replace the late Justice Scalia, then the people of Iowa will know that the Senator has proper respect for the Constitution and they can go on to evaluate him on his merits.
And if he does choose to indulge in this scandalous (is it too much to say illegal?) and unexplainable neglect of his Constitutional duties, the people of Iowa, in particular those of a conservative bent, will know his mind and can begin to choose his replacement, as I’m sure the vast majority of Iowans have nothing but the utmost respect for the Constitution and those servants of the people whose conduct is informed by the Constitution. While a Democratic replacement might be considered to be a good lesson to the GOP, in truth I merely desire a Senator beholden to no covert personality (as it appears most of current GOP Senators have become), who properly respects the Constitution, and is dedicated to proper governance, and not to the current bout of game-playing and incompetence to which we are currently witness.
