The White House and conservative advocacy groups called the disclosure a desperate, last-minute smear by Democrats frustrated at their inability to thwart the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh.
Coming just weeks after Republicans tried but failed to thwart the confirmation of a district court judge, the Liu vote suggests a new Republican willingness to blockade judicial nominees.
If they ever sided with the Democrats in opposing a recalcitrant Trump nominee, it would constitute sufficient numbers to thwart the confirmation.
But Republicans, including several presidential candidates, quickly denounced the diplomatic reopening as appeasement of a dictatorial regime, and vowed to try to thwart the détente Mr. Obama is seeking by blocking the confirmation of a new ambassador, denying any funding needed for embassies and keeping in place strict limits on commerce between Cuba and the United States.
Prior to backing Gorsuch, the Judicial Crisis Network spent $7 million in 2016 to (successfully) thwart President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, from even getting a confirmation hearing.
Yet if we do not act to improve the confirmation process, those who are today deploying harmful tactics and maneuvers to thwart nominees will sooner or later find the tables turned.
He recognized that in a narrowly divided Senate he could be a pivotal swing player, often able to push forward proposals he favored on the Democratic agenda or at least thwart the will of Republican leaders on the matters he chose (on judicial confirmations or detainee interrogations, for example).
Some Senate Republicans have pledged to block the confirmation of an ambassador to Cuba, but that wouldn't do much to thwart diplomacy.
Clinton's two nominees for the Supreme Court won easy confirmation, but that wasn't because of any principled Republican reluctance to use undemocratic stratagems to thwart him.
Her confirmation comes after a historic, tie-breaking vote made by Vice President Mike Pence, despite Democrats' tireless efforts to thwart her appointment.
Hence, we ought to be very careful not to thwart the concept of blood glucose control in the critically ill patient before giving it a fair chance in properly executed confirmation trials.
