It’s embarrassing how terrified the Senate Republicans are of their base. They really don’t have much of a beef with the president’s nominee to replace Eric Holder as Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, but they’re afraid to vote to confirm her. And they’re fairly open about this.
The nomination of Ms. Lynch, a seasoned United States attorney from New York, has laid bare the difficult politics confronting the new Republican majority. Lawmakers have found nothing in Ms. Lynch’s background to latch on to in opposition, and many are loath to reject the first African-American woman put forth to be the nation’s top law enforcement officer.
But, they say, their constituents have told them that a vote for Ms. Lynch affirms Mr. Obama’s executive actions on immigration, which she has said she finds lawful.
Freshman Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is particularly craven:
At the same time, almost no one has an unkind word for Ms. Lynch. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia, said she could hardly expect a better nominee, “not in terms of qualifications or personal attributes.”
Yet, she cannot see herself voting for her.
Ms. Capito said she is holding out for the prospect that the president could offer a nominee not quite so stalwart in defense of the president’s policies.
“I would say it’s probably realistic to think somebody could convince me that they’re going to be more objective about it, yes,” Ms. Capito said.
What Senator Capito appears to be saying is that Loretta Lynch is basically an optimal nominee if you judge her on her credentials and character, but she won’t vote to confirm her because Lynch doesn’t agree with the radical right that the president is a tyrant.
In other words, she’s just afraid to do the right thing.
Eric Holder has already said that he’ll stay in the position for as long as it takes to confirm his successor, so the GOP’s dilatory tactics aren’t solving anything for them. They’re just keeping the guy they can’t stand instead of replacing him with someone they kind of like.
There are a handful of Republican senators who are willing to express how stupid this is. But only a handful.
To Ms. [Susan] Collins [R-ME] and Mr. [Lindsey] Graham [R-SC], the Republican opposition is mystifying, if for no other reason than Ms. Lynch’s confirmation would end the reign of Mr. Holder, who is widely disliked in conservative circles. Mr. Holder has said he will stay until a successor is confirmed.
“One of my arguments is that we need a change of leadership at the Justice Department, and here we have this very well qualified, 30-plus-year prosecutor who can step in and replace the current attorney general,” Ms. Collins said. “I think that’s a good thing from whatever perspective you look at it.”
Mr. Graham echoed the point: “I dread the thought of having a fight with Eric Holder for the next 20 months. It’s just not good for the country.”
Yet, the Republicans are struggling to find the votes to confirm Lynch. Even if she is ultimately confirmed, almost all the Republicans will vote against her, and not because they don’t think she’s suitable for the job. They just don’t want to be accused of somehow “ratifying” the president’s executive orders on immigration.
This is especially painful because the Senate actually passed comprehensive immigration reform at the beginning of President Obama’s second term only to see the House Republicans ignore the issue.
Do you remember why the Senate Republicans agreed to pass comprehensive immigration reform? Do you remember the Republican National Committee’s post-2012 election autopsy report?
Here were some of their recommendations on how to avoid having their asses handed to them for a third straight election in 2016:
Recommendations:
1. If we want ethnic minority voters to support Republicans, we have to engage them, and show our sincerity.
2. As stated above, we are not a policy committee, but among the steps Republicans take in the Hispanic community and beyond we must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform. If we do not, our Party’s appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only. We also believe that comprehensive immigration reform is consistent with Republican economic policies that promote job growth and opportunity for all.
3. When it comes to social issues, the Party must in fact and deed be inclusive and welcoming. If we are not, we will limit our ability to attract young people and others, including many women, who agree with us on some but not all issues.
So, what are they doing right now?
They are delaying a vote on an African-American woman nominee to head the Justice Department because their base hates Latinos so much that they’re afraid to confirm her.
The RNC and the strategists can make all the recommendations they want, but the American people will respond to the Republican Party as it is, not as the strategists might wish it to be.
