Charles Schumer, one of New York’s Democratic senators and the Senate Minority Leader, has decided to “lead” from the sidelines it seems. He said today that “he will not meet with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s third Supreme Court pick.” “‘I am not going to meet with Judge Barrett. Why would I meet with a nominee of such an illegitimate process and one who is determined to get rid of the Affordable Care Act?’ Schumer said in a tweet.” Two other Democratic senators also have refused to meet with her before confirmation hearings begin: Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).
Putting aside the fact that Schumer has no idea what he’s talking about on the nominee’s supposed “determin[ation] to get rid of the Affordable Care Act” and that he clearly doesn’t understand the role of a judge unless it’s one he likes, in which case anything goes, that sort of attitude isn’t exactly being a “Leader” unless it is to lead his party out of the political process entirely. (Which is okay since the Democrats have bollixed up everything they’ve touched for years.) This type of deliberate ignorance because he and his party is piqued that they might not get what they want is not what we presume the voters of New York sent him to the Senate for.
There is a lot of bad blood in politics these days to be sure. But for the Minority Leader of the Senate of the United States of America to encase himself in bubble wrap deliberately to avoid maybe actually learning something that might be contrary to his already expressed beliefs, is an insult to the Nation, to the Constitution, to the electorate at-large, to his party, and to the voters of New York. Chuck Schumer should be ashamed of himself.