Let the Shaming commence..

Democrats launch Supreme Court shame campaign 

Republican Gov. Sandoval takes himself out of the running, while Democrats escalate their attacks on GOP for refusing to consider a nominee.

By Sarah Wheaton

Democrats lost a political weapon on Thursday as Nevada’s Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, whose name had been floated for a Supreme Court nod, said he wasn’t interested in the job.

But President Barack Obama’s congressional allies aren’t about to let up on their attempts to shame Senate Republicans who are refusing to entertain a nominee.

“We felt it was extremely important to make sure the American people understand that we have obstruction that is on steroids,” said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday afternoon, joined by about a dozen other Democrats for 20 minutes of public GOP scolding in front of the high court.

“We want them to do their jobs,” Reid continued. “That’s all we ask.”

Democrats have been methodically building an argument this week that the GOP is in the wrong after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Judiciary Committee members announced on Tuesday that they would not hold hearings on Obama’s forthcoming nominee, and probably wouldn’t even hold a private meeting with the person.

Reid submitted his home-state governor’s name to the White House, according to a source familiar with the process, and news reports surfaced on Wednesday that he was being vetted — a move that helped Obama look open-minded and nonpartisan.

But by Thursday afternoon, the moderate Republican announced that he had taken himself out of the running.

“Earlier today, I notified the White House that I do not wish to be considered at this time for possible nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States,” Sandoval said in a statement. “I have also spoken to Senators Reid, [Dean] Heller and McConnell and expressed the same desire to them. The notion of being considered for a seat on the highest court in the land is beyond humbling and I am incredibly grateful to have been mentioned.”

The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia earlier this month has injected a high-stakes showdown into an already intense political season. And as Democrats wait for Obama to name his nominee — a process that’s expected to take another few weeks — they are promising to spend that time reminding their base that Republicans are blocking their president’s mission.

It’s clearly resonating. For example, Bill Clinton’s call on Thursday for Obama to “do his job” and nominate a successor drew “Hallelujahs” from a crowd in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where the former president is stumping for Hillary Clinton ahead of the Democratic primary there on Saturday.

Back in Washington, on the steps of the court, Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, brandished a small copy of the Constitution as he declared, “They took a solemn, a solemn oath before God, to uphold the Constitution. They said, ‘In this case, we won’t uphold the Constitution.’”

Democrats on the Hill also briefly rallied behind the Sandoval trial balloon. Prior to Sandoval’s step back on Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters that it’s a “good idea for the president to consider a Republican, or a Democrat.”

But other prominent Democrats warned against the possibility of Obama offering a lifetime appointment to a Republican who has called Obamacare unconstitutional.

Hillary Clinton, who has faced sharp criticism from rival Bernie Sanders about her progressive credentials, questioned the wisdom of nominating someone like Sandoval. "I know the governor has done some good things,” Clinton said on Thursday, campaigning in South Carolina. “But I sure hope the president chooses a true progressive who will stand up for the values and the interests of the people of this country."

The progressive group Democracy for America threatened to mobilize its members against a Sandoval nomination, and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence blasted the Nevada governor as “unfit” for the Supreme Court based on his veto of background check legislation, as gun control has become a major issue in the Democratic primary.

Republicans, for their part, are trying to box Obama into a compromise pick, all while maintaining their resistance to considering a nominee this year. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) recounted his meeting with Obama on the sidelines of an unrelated White House gathering on Wednesday.

“He told me he’ll send somebody that’ll be moderate,” Hatch said. “And, we’ll wait and see. It will be interesting to see.”

White House press secretary Josh Earnest refused to confirm the details of the president’s conversation with Hatch, noting the lack of a “transcript,” and referred reporters to Obama’s recent post on SCOTUSblog about what he’s looking for in a nominee.

“Politics are going be part of” the confirmation process, Earnest acknowledged, “particularly in an election year.”

However, Earnest added, “’What political party do you support?’ will not be one of the questions” Obama asks a potential nominee.

The White House and Senate Republicans have managed to reach at least one point of consensus on the confirmation fight. Both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue have been squabbling about scheduling an in-person meeting among the president, the top Senate leaders and the chairman and ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

“We’re pleased that after a number of conversations, some more awkward than others, that the president will be convening a meeting on Tuesday,” Earnest announced.

McConnell’s spokesman has said the majority leader is looking forward to telling the president directly “that the American people will be heard on this matter, and the nomination will be determined by whoever wins the presidency in the fall.”