7 GOP senators join Democrats in confirming Biden judicial nominee



Seven Republican senators joined with Democrats and independents on Tuesday in voting to confirm President Joe Biden's nomination of Judge Tanya Monique Jones Bosier to serve as an associate judge on the Superior Court of D.C.

Lawmakers voted 57-41 in favor of confirmation, with all 41 of the opposing votes coming from Republicans.

'In DC it's business as usual.'

The seven GOP senators who voted to confirm included Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

"The GOP nominee was convicted in a kangaroo court Thursday. Just 5 days later AT THEIR FIRST CHANCE Sens. @LindseyGrahamSC @SenatorRounds @SenatorLankford @SenThomTillis voted yes on ANOTHER Biden judicial nominee. They won't stop Democrat Lawfare. In DC it's business as usual," Blaze Media's Christopher Bedford tweeted.

"Democrats didn't need these Republicans to confirm their judge. They didn't need @lisamurkowski @MittRomney @SenatorCollins either. These senators are simply adding their seals of approval. Even a controlled opposition at least pretends to oppose. There are no excuses," he added.

Last week, a jury found former President Donald Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, guilty on all counts in a New York criminal trial.

Some GOP senators signed onto a pledge that declares, in part, that they will not vote to confirm any Biden administration political and judicial nominees.

"The White House has made a mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally altered our politics in un-American ways. As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart. To that end, we will not 1) allow any increase to non-security related funding for this administration, or any appropriations bill which funds partisan lawfare; 2) vote to confirm this administration's political and judicial appointees; and 3) allow expedited consideration and passage of Democrat legislation or authorities that are not directly relevant to the safety of the American people," the pledge declares.

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Alaska GOP vows all 'legally permissible' action to prevent Sen. Lisa Murkowski's re-election



The Alaska Republican Party has censured Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) for voting to convict former President Donald Trump in his second Senate trial in January.

Of the seven Republican senators who voted "guilty," many have faced censure from their state parties. But the Alaska GOP went further. Not only did the state party members censure Murkowski, but they vowed to actively campaign against her in 2022.

What are the details?

The Alaska GOP passed a censure resolution during a meeting in Anchorage over the weekend.

In a 53-17 vote, the Alaska GOP censured Murkowski not only for supporting Trump's second impeachment, but also for several past votes that have angered Republicans, the Associated Press reported. Also cited was Murkowski having "consistently opposed placing limits on abortion" and the fact that she supported Deb Haaland's nomination to become interior secretary

"The party does not want Lisa Murkowski to be a Republican candidate," Tuckerman Babcock, former chairman of the Alaska GOP, told the AP.

Babcock explained the censure resolution directed Alaska Republicans to do everything in their power to ensure Murkowski is not re-elected.

"It went further than censure, which was strong," Babcock said. "But it also directed the party officials to recruit an opponent in the election and to the extent legally permissible, prevent Lisa Murkowski from running as a Republican in any election."

The resolution states:

Resolved that under Alaska Republican Party Rules, Article 1, Section 4 (f) 4, the Party hereby willrecruit a Republican primary challenger to oppose and prohibit Senator Murkowski from being acandidate in any Republican primary to the extent legally permissible.

"The committee decided that they need to speak up early in order to encourage a candidate to come forward," Babcock added.

Trump has declared that he will campaign against Murkowski.

Why did Murkowski vote to convict?

After voting "guilty," Murkowski released a lengthy statement explaining that she believed Trump was guilty of inciting the deadly violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Later, when faced with the prospect of censure, Murkowski reiterated that her loyalty is to the U.S. Constitution — not Trump.

"They can make that statement. But I will make the statement, again, that my obligation is to support the Constitution that I have pledged to uphold, and I will do that, even if it means that I have to oppose the direction of my state party," Murkowski said last month.

Who might replace Murkowski?

Murkowski is up for re-election in 2022, but it's not yet clear if she will pursue another Senate term. However, several names have emerged as possible candidates for her seat.

Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor, teased challenging Murkowski after she voted against Brett Kavanaugh in a procedural vote during Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation.

"Hey @LisaMurkowski — I can see 2022 from my house..." Palin tweeted in 2018.

Hey @LisaMurkowski - I can see 2022 from my house...
— Sarah Palin (@Sarah Palin)1538766370.0

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) is also a potential challenger.

Surprisingly, Fox News host Laura Ingraham even voiced interest in running for Murkowski's seat after the senator's vote against Kavanaugh in 2018.

"I like Alaska...a lot. Maybe it's time to run for Senate after all. @lisamurkowski has abandoned all principles of due process and fairness. Disgraceful," Ingraham said at the time. "Embarrassing to Alaska and to any who believe in due process and the presumption of innocence."

I like Alaska...a lot. Maybe it’s time to run for Senate after all. @lisamurkowski has abandoned all principles o… https://t.co/5d6l4E8bO1
— Laura Ingraham (@Laura Ingraham)1538752932.0

Sarah Palin calls out Lisa Murkowski for opposing Trump's Supreme Court nominee: 'I can see 2022 from my house'



Could Sarah Palin challenge Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in the 2022 Alaska Republican Senate primary?

The former governor of Alaska and 2008 running mate with Republican presidential candidate John McCain said she "can see 2022 from my house" in a video calling out Murkowski for opposing President Donald Trump's plan to nominate a new Supreme Court justice before the presidential election.

"Lisa Murkowski, this is my house," Palin says in the video. "I'm willing to give it up for the greater good of this country."

"If you can't find it within yourself to do the right thing this time and at least give a fair shake to the Supreme Court nominee that your president will be bringing before you," Palin continues.

She demands that Murkowski do "what the majority of Americans want you to do when you were sent to Washington, D.C."

She urges Murkowski to "backtrack" her opposition to a Trump nominee.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Murkowski refused to commit to supporting a Republican-led effort to confirm a new justice.

"I know everybody wants to ask the question, 'Will you confirm the nominee?'" Murkowski said. "We don't have a nominee yet. You and I don't know who that is. And so I can't confirm whether or not I can confirm a nominee when I don't know who the nominee is."

She reaffirmed her position that she "would not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election."

"Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed," Murkowski said. "I did not support taking up a nomination eight months before the 2016 election to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Justice Scalia."

"We are now even closer to the 2020 election — less than two months out — and I believe the same standard must apply," she added.

Palin suggested Murkowski's instance on waiting for the election indicates she hopes President Trump loses.

"You'd better backtrack ... you know you'd already put yourself in this box saying no matter who it is you're not going to support the person, not until you have the chance to appoint a judicial nominee under another president instead of this one?" Palin asked. "You're hoping what, that this president doesn't win?

"Otherwise you'd be cooperating with the president, really what it is is cooperating with the majority of Americans who know that it's now or never for America."

"So much hinges on the Supreme Court ... you know why it's so important and that's why you're thinking you're going to go rogue," Palin says. "There's a time and a place to go rogue, this isn't the time. This isn't the place."

Palin ends the video with a possible threat to challenge Murkowski when her term ends in 2022.

"We sure hope that you have it within you have it within you to do the right thing this time. So you should walk back, we'll forgive you," Palin says. "If you can't do that, remember my house? I can see a lot of things from my house.

"Lisa, I can see 2022 from my house."

This is not the first time Palin has threatened to challenge Murkowski. In 2018, when Murkowski opposed the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Palin tweeted "Hey @LisaMurkowski - I can see 2022 from my house ..."

Watch:

Former Governor Sarah Palin calls out Murkowski. www.youtube.com

Greg Nash- Pool/Getty Images

Lisa Murkowski says she won't vote on a justice to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the election: 'Fair is fair'



Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death was barely announced before speculation began to run rampant on the internet about whether Republicans will attempt to confirm a nominee to replace her prior to the 2020 election.

The speculation is perhaps understandable. Most polls show President Donald Trump trailing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the general election, and a number of Republican senators in swing states are also trailing their Democratic opponents, meaning that Democrats believe that waiting until after the election will substantially increase the chances that a justice more to their liking will end up taking Ginsburg's place on the Supreme Court.

Republicans currently control 53 seats in the United States Senate, so they theoretically could force a nominee through before the election. In light of all this, some senators who are considered likely swing votes have already been approached by the media and asked if they plan to allow a vote on a replacement for Ginsburg.

One Republican senator, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, has already indicated that she will not support such a vote.

Alaska's @lisamurkowski said today she won't confirm a new SCOTUS justice until after the inauguration day. Fair is… https://t.co/LkjvXh47w6
— Liz Ruskin (@Liz Ruskin)1600472604.0

Murkowski's remark that "fair is fair" is presumably a reference to the fact that Republican senators did not allow a hearing for former President Barack Obama's nominee Merrick Garland in 2016 during an election year.

Murkowski's position does not come as a surprise. Murkowski was asked about the possibility in August, back when it was merely a hypothetical, and she said then that she would not support such an attempt.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) says it would be a “double standard" to fill a Supreme Court vacancy before 2021 & “would not support it."
— Alex Bolton (@Alex Bolton)1596454127.0

Maine Senator Susan Collins (R) also indicated some weeks ago that she would not support seating a replacement justice in October.

News: @SenatorCollins told me earlier this month in Maine that she would not seat a Supreme Court justice in Octobe… https://t.co/vgIFOMDF5h
— Jonathan Martin (@Jonathan Martin)1600474839.0

If both ssenators hold true to their positions, and no Democrats defect, that would mean that even two more Republican defections would doom any attempt to confirm a replacement for Ginsburg on the Supreme Court before the election.