The Palm Beach Post

Democrats playing games with Gorsuch nomination for court

- BLAISE INGOGLIA, TALLAHASSE­E Editor’s note: State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, is chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

The first 100 days of any presidency are always widely observed and highly scrutinize­d, and President Donald Trump’s, one might say, has been met with opposition from both his detractors and the media.

Recently, the president delivered on his “drain the swamp” promise and appointed the highly qualified U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch.

Unfortunat­ely, Gorsuch has become a proverbial political “football” thrown by hypocritic­al Democratic senators on Capitol Hill, claiming they have “serious doubts” because Gorsuch does not fit within their liberal legal mainstream. They erroneousl­y claim Gorsuch sided with corporatio­ns over working people, had hostility toward women’s rights and holds an ideologica­l approach to jurisprude­nce.

Gorsuch’s record proves he is collegial, fairminded and applies the law justifiabl­y. He is not only a justice in the mold of the late Antonin Scalia; he is a champion of the original intent of our nation’s most sacred document, and considers fidelity to the constituti­onal text the cornerston­e of his method.

In fact, his credential­s are so stellar that Gorsuch was previously confirmed by the Senate to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, where he has served for over a decade.

Among the senators who confirmed Gorsuch is Florida Sen. Bill Nelson. He recently claimed to need “a full examinatio­n” to confirm the judge. However, in March of last year [when Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination was held up by Senate Republican­s], Nelson said: “The Senate has a constituti­onal responsibi­lity to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court and I take that responsibi­lity very seriously.”

So, what would make him object to confirming Gorsuch this time around?

Nelson by now must know that Lady Justice is blind. She does not know Republican. She does not know Democrat. She is guided by one thing and one thing only — the U.S. Constituti­on. And Gorsuch’s record has been ethical, impartial, true to the letter of the law and never reflective of partisan politics.

The American people have spoken and the 2016 election cycle was a mandate, not only on fixing a dysfunctio­nal D.C., but on the Supreme Court as well.

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