Fight over Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nod will expose Sen. Nelson’s priorities

It’s no mystery that the radical left is furious about the election results. Understandably, they passionately dislike President Donald Trump’s agenda. But their contempt toward the president is pushing them to oppose anyone and anything even remotely associated with him, regardless of particular merits.

Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, is the perfect example. Here is a man of impeccable character and the highest of qualifications being opposed by some because of, well, the Trump factor.

His qualifications are unquestionable. Columbia University, Harvard Law School, PhD., in law from University College at Oxford University (on Marshall Scholarship, no less). He clerked for Judge David Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and, both Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy at the U.S. Supreme Court.

He was an associate and then partner at the renowned Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel. He also served as principal deputy to Associate Attorney General Robert McCallum at the U.S. Department of Justice.

His strong record got him appointed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on a voice vote — that is, unanimously. No Democrat expressed a single concern. Among those who supported him then: President Barack Obama (as senator from Illinois), Vice President Joe Biden (as senator from Delaware), Secretary Hillary Clinton (as a senator from New York), and current Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Richard Durbin (D-Illinois), and our very own Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida).

No one criticized them for that, of course, given such an impressive nominee.

Gorsuch’s praise comes from both sides of the aisle. Liberal Georgetown Professor Neal Katyal wrote recently in the New York Times:

“I was an acting solicitor general for President Barack Obama; Judge Gorsuch has strong conservative bona fides and was appointed to the 10th Circuit by President George W. Bush. But I have seen him up close and in action, both in court and on the Federal Appellate Rules Committee (where both of us serve); he brings a sense of fairness and decency to the job, and a temperament that suits the nation’s highest court.”

That is the simple truth. But now Democratic senators that are up for re-election, including Nelson, are being pressured by the radical left to forget about the facts and oppose Gorsuch out of spite for the election. I hope they do not give in to the political assault of this honorable nominee.

Floridians don’t care much about Washington politics and “payback.” We care about what is happening in our communities and our hurting families.

This is a good judge by every account who will follow the law and respect our senators’ role in enacting laws. He should be confirmed swiftly so our senators can get back to the task of fixing the rising cost of our health care, getting our economy back on track, and protecting our state and nation from terrorism.

I sincerely hope that Nelson stays true to his convictions, as he has done in the past (when he voted for Gorsuch), and does not give into the faux pressure from the left. Bowing to them on Gorsuch will not help him one iota on his reelection campaign in Florida.

He should join Marco Rubio who (fresh out of an impressive reelection victory) said, “Judge Gorsuch is a highly qualified, mainstream jurist.” No one can dispute that.

Whatever Sen. Nelson does, including how much time he wastes on this political attack of a mainstream nominee, will let us Floridians know where his priorities lie.

Are his priorities aligned with the radical left and political partisanship in Washington, or is he concerned with the wellbeing of the people of Florida? We will soon find out.