Donald Trumps the Court

Donald Trump has made his choice for the vacancy on the Supreme Court.  And the winner is . . .

. . . Neil Gorsuch, a judge from Colorado who sits on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Be afraid.  Be very afraid.  Not only is he an originalist and a strict constructionist like Antonin Scalia, but he has ruled against federal agencies in their interpretation of the law, and he ruled for the religious freedom of companies to deny contraceptive coverage to women (the Hobby Lobby case?  it came from his court ruling on its way to the Supreme Court).  He also bitched about how liberals try to force the judiciary to legislate their agenda, saying that they "have become addicted to the courtroom, relying on judges and lawyers rather than elected leaders and the ballot box, as the primary means of effecting their social agenda" while "failing to reach out and persuade the public."

Well, I can't argue with that, given the disastrous results of Democrats in every major election (and most of the minor ones) since 2008.

Oh yeah, his mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, was President Reagan's first EPA administrator, and she used her office to help and serve polluters.  Her biggest distinction was mishandling the chemical-waste cleanup fund to help political cronies. 

Be that as it may, Gorsuch was confirmed with broad bipartisan support for his current judicial post in 2006 when George Walker Bush named him to the Tenth Circuit.   Democrats wanting revenge for the way Republicans blocked Obama nominee Merrick Garland will find it pretty damn hard to exact it now.  Especially when the Republicans still control the Senate and are prepared to shove the Gorsuch appointment right down the Democrats' throats.

Meanwhile, the White House is scrambling to put the best face on its odious travel ban, continuing to insist that it's not an anti-Muslim ban when there are seven countries cited and there are several other Muslim-majority countries from which people can travel to the United States without any problem.  Would they still be able to so even if he didn't have business interests in those other countries? 

Martin O'Malley posed that question.  Seriously.