From start to finish the stars were aligned for a picture perfect by the book confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. She was confirmed 52-48 Monday night on a party line vote. With Leader Mitch McConnel’s approval, only Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine voting no for the Republicans. She is in a tough reelection fight in purple Maine and needed the waiver. She got it and Barrett and McConnell still had votes to spare.

After the unfortunate death of Justice Ginsburg, the president was swift and decisive in nominating Barrett. Though the outcry from the Left was loud and shrill, it was basically ignored by the country because of Barrett’s sterling professional and personal reputation. The Democrats never laid a finger on her and hardly even tried.

The Democrats, knowing defeat was assured, pulled their punches during committee hearings and after. They are in a fit of pique today that is amusing to watch in a schadenfreudish sense. The Republicans are jubilant.

“This is something to be really proud of and feel good about,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday ahead of voting. He laughed at the “apocalyptic” babbling from critics that the judicial branch was becoming mired in politics and declared that “they won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.” So when the Democrats get a liberal judge on the court that’s fine. But when a conservative is on the court it is the Apocalypse. Uh huh. Yeah.

 

“I regret that we could not do it the normal way. But what I don’t regret is reporting her out of committee,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said after the Committee gave a 12-0 favorable recommendation of Barrett, with the entire committee’s Democrat contingent boycotting. “I could not have lived with myself if I denied her her day.”

“I consider Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be the most qualified Supreme Court nominee that I’ve encountered in my 34 years in the United States Senate,” Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama said Monday. Chuck Schumer had his say.

“This nomination is part of a decades-long effort to tilt the courts towards the right to accomplish through the courts what Republicans could never accomplish through Congress. There is no escaping this glaring hypocrisy,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Sunday. “As I said before, not tit for tat, convoluted, distorted version of history will wipe away the stain that will exist forever with the Republican majority and this Republican leader.” The president hailed the new justice.

“Justice Barrett made clear she will issue rulings based solely upon a faithful reading of the law and the Constitution as written not legislate from the bench,” Trump said during at the swearing in ceremony on Monday. “The American people put their trust in you and their faith in you as you take up the task of defending our laws, our Constitution and this country we all love.”