Richard Burr Strengthens The Case For Defeating Every Republican Up And Down The Ticket

Yesterday, speaking to a fringe right-wing radio show, John Cornyn, McConnell's #2 in the Senate said Republicans in Congress will continue "investigating" Clinton if she's elected. GOP dunce Ron Johnson is already talking about impeaching Hillary Clinton. In the last couple of days, North Carolina dim bulb Richard Burr joined Ted Cruz and John McCain saying they would block any Supreme Court nominees from a Democratic president. Yesterday Politico started the day with a report from Rachel Bade about how congressional Republicans are planning to tie government up in endless investigations of trumped up charges against President Hillary Clinton led by hyper-partisan extremists like Jason Chaffetz (UT), Lamar Smith (TX), Michael McCaul (TX), Bob Goodlatte (VA), Jim Jordan (OH), Darrell Issa (CA), Tom Price (GA), Jeb Hensarling (TX), Ed Royce (CA), Pete Sessions (TX) and Kevin Brady (TX).

If the GOP wins either or both chambers of Congress next week, and Clinton takes the White House, she’s likely to come under investigation by Capitol Hill from Day One, or possibly before she’s even sworn in. FBI Director James Comey’s recent decision to revisit the probe of her email setup, and an assortment of Justice sources who’ve leaked to the press since Friday, have armed GOP lawmakers with more than enough ammunition to rev up their own investigations, say Republican sources on Capitol Hill.

The dynamic could sour relations between Clinton and Capitol Hill from the get-go, dousing any hope of even a brief honeymoon for Clinton should she defeat Donald Trump next week.

Disgraced former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who managed to worm his way out of a prison sentence with legalistic technicalities on a series of trials that lasted for many years, is now urging his old comrades in the House to start impeachment proceedings against Hillary the day she's elected.

Burr has made it completely clear to North Carolina voters why he should be denied reelection, even beyond his miserable record. Blue America hasn't endorsed his opponent, Deborah Ross but it is completely clear that Burr is unfit, like Trump, for elected office. Saturday, not knowing he was being taped, he told Republican supporters that he would work to "keep a vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court empty for four years if Hillary Clinton is elected president."

The Saturday conversation is the same one in which Burr joked about whether a photo of Clinton on the cover of American Rifleman, a magazine published by the National Rifle Association, should have a bulls-eye on it. Those remarks have been widely reported and condemned, and Burr apologized Monday.

...[I]n Saturday's meeting in Mooresville, Burr said, "If Hillary Clinton becomes president, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that four years from now we've still got an opening on the Supreme Court."

Burr told supporters that an eight-member court would mean some rulings by lower courts like the one Garland sits on would stand as is, "But I think on the things that are important to the country, there's a better chance that the lower court or the appellate court will get the right answer before it gets to the Supreme Court."

Shortly after Scalia died, Burr tweeted, "The American people deserve a say. The Supreme Court vacancy should not be filled until there is a new President."

When Obama nominated Garland, Burr issued, a two-sentence statement: "The American people deserve a voice in the nomination of the next Supreme Court Justice. This appointment could easily tip the balance of the court in a direction not supported by the American people as evidenced by 2014's election results giving Republicans both the Senate and the House."

...On Saturday, Burr told supporters it is "not tough for me" to hold a judge's seat open. He cited the fact that a federal judgeship in eastern North Carolina has remained open 10 years, the longest period in history, at his behest.

He said on the recording that the Obama administration had reneged on its promise to support Burr's preferred candidate for a judgeship if Burr backed an Obama candidate. He said Obama had told him in a telephone call that the deal was good only for Obama's first term.

Burr said he responded, "Let me make you a promise. This seat will be vacant on the day you go out of office."

Burr recounted to supporters Saturday seeing a copy of American Rifleman a few days before.

"It's got a picture of Hillary Clinton on the front of it. I was a little bit shocked that it didn't have a bull's-eye on it," he said on the recording.

He apologized Monday afternoon shortly after CNN published the recording: "The comment I made was inappropriate, and I apologize for it."

Ross told The Associated Press the remark was "not befitting a senator."

"I think it's a comment about violence against a candidate for the president of the United States, and they're irresponsible and wrong," Ross said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Gun-control groups including former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords' group, Americans for Responsible Solutions, called Burr's comments dangerous in a country strained by disputes over gun rights.

Burr's comments normalize an attitude among some gun rights supporters that killing unfriendly politicians could be an option, Brady Campaign President Daniel Gross said Tuesday.

"We take from it a level of violent rhetoric that is dangerous and we need to say is unacceptable," Gross told the AP.

Ross said during a campaign appearance in Charlotte Tuesday that Burr is "putting politics ahead of his duty and ahead of the Constitution. And he's applying for a job by saying he's not going to do his job."

She called Burr's actions to keep the eastern North Carolina judge's job open "a dereliction of duty" and criticized his comment about putting a bulls-eye on Clinton.

"We should be able to have a civil discussion, and a civil society, and a civil election without talking about violence," Ross said. "It is the job of elected leaders and their campaigns to set an example for the next generation."

Rand Paul, who doesn't have a serious challenge to reelection, said in debate a few days ago that he "can’t imagine voting for a Clinton nominee unless she would appoint somebody that actually were someone who believes in the separation of powers as the founders wrote into the Constitution," pretty similar to what Marco Rubio has said.

At this point, it's becoming clearer and clearer that the Republicans themselves, with their own pronouncements, are making it essential for people to put government back on rational footing by defeating every Republican running for office. Yes, it's a shame that so many Democratic candidates aren't worth voting for, but even the worst garbage candidates-- let's even take the worst of all, Patrick Murphy, Ann Kirkpatrick and Evan Bayh-- aren't as horrific as the Republican alternatives. We really need a vibrant "None of the Above" alternative on our ballots!