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This afternoon, MSNOW’s Mychael Schnell tweeted: “Sen. John Cornyn just told us there’s been ‘radio silence’ from the DOJ in the past 24 hours about Blanche and the anti-weaponization fund. Though he noted staff is talking.”
Cornyn had previously suggested that a written withdrawal of the slush fund and protection from being held accountable for back taxes agreements benefiting Trump in his lawsuit “against” the IRS would be needed, if Blanche was going to get his vote for Attorney General. This evening there was news Cornyn plans to meet with Blanche Wednesday morning and was demanding a written deal, possibly in advance.
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Of course, we’ve seen this sort of tough talk from Republicans before. Just before they folded. So it’s difficult to know if Cornyn, or retiring North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who demanded that Blanche meet with Epstein survivors (he did, but it was a sham), are for real.
Schnell noted that Cornyn “also said members are discussing the possibility of postponing Thursday’s vote in committee. ‘If there’s not enough votes to pass the, to confirm him, then Senator Grassley might decide to postpone it,’ Cornyn said.”
It’s possible that cold feet are developing in the marble halls of the Senate. After all, Senators who vote yes on Blanche will own that vote forever. And Blanche has done more to degrade and politicize the Justice Department, than most of his predecessors combined. There’s no reason to believe that will stop just because he gets confirmed by the Senate. If anything, Blanche has shown any enormous appetite to do the bidding of the man about whom he said “I love you, Sir,” on national television.
This evening, Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, a man with no national security expertise, was confirmed by the Senate 51-47 to be Director of National Intelligence, despite the fact that he lacks that expertise. While it still seems likely that Blanche will ultimately be confirmed, Clayton‘s confirmation may give the Senate a little breathing room. These developments with Blanche bear watching. In the meantime, my former DOJ colleague Stacey Young (who now runs the Justice Connection, a group that supports Former DOJ employees) and I got together to discuss the many ways that Blanche is terminally unsuited for the role of Attorney General. We could have gone on a lot longer than we did…
Our conversation is designed to help you with your own conversations about Blanche. If you’re going to be talking with folks who haven’t been following along, here’s your opportunity to help them understand, in detail, why Blanche’s nomination is such a horrible idea. We cover all the bases for you.
If you’re in North Carolina or Texas, pick the part that outrages you the most to focus on and let your senator know you support a “No” vote on Blanche. Timing is everything, and if either one of them, or any of the other senators on the Judiciary Committee are having second thoughts, this is a good moment to engage.
Ultimately, unless his nomination gets kneecapped, Blanche will head to the floor of the Senate for a confirmation vote. And then, it’s up to us. He may ultimately be confirmed, but we should not simply accept it as a fait accompli. If we’ve learned anything recently, it’s that our opposition, our voices, matter. Blocking the Paramount-Warner Brothers merger. Sidelining Trump‘s slush fund/personal settlement in his case against the IRS. When we focus on issues and raise our voices together, we matter. We can help make a difference.
This is what Donald Trump fears, and we must not hesitate to use the power we have for that exact reason. Your vote alone may not feel like much. But all of our votes together, combined, can change the course of the future. The same with our opposition to anti-democratic moves by this administration. Like trying to confirm the president’s lawyer, someone who told the Senate he wouldn’t pursue Trump’s revenge agenda when they confirmed him to be the Deputy Attorney General and then did, as the next attorney general of the United States. So let’s make sure they hear us. Todd Blanche should not be confirmed.
We’re in this together,
Joyce