1 00:00:00,533 --> 00:00:01,700 >> Sreenivasan: JEFF, WHAT DO WE 2 00:00:01,700 --> 00:00:04,433 KNOW AND NOT KNOW ABOUT HOW AND 3 00:00:04,433 --> 00:00:06,233 WHEN THIS CONFIRMATION PROCESS 4 00:00:06,233 --> 00:00:07,266 WILL HAPPEN? 5 00:00:07,266 --> 00:00:08,266 >> WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID 6 00:00:08,266 --> 00:00:10,133 YESTERDAY WAS HE INTENDS TO SEND 7 00:00:10,133 --> 00:00:11,633 UP A NOMINEE VERY QUICKLY. 8 00:00:11,633 --> 00:00:13,233 HE SAID IT WOULD BE A WOMAN. 9 00:00:13,233 --> 00:00:16,133 WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS WHEN 10 00:00:16,133 --> 00:00:17,333 SENATE LEADER MITCH McCONNELL 11 00:00:17,333 --> 00:00:18,966 INTENDS TO TAKE THIS NOMINATION 12 00:00:18,966 --> 00:00:21,133 UP, WHICH HE DOES. 13 00:00:21,133 --> 00:00:22,733 THERE'S VERY LITTLE TIME IN THE 14 00:00:22,733 --> 00:00:24,300 SENATE CALENDAR BETWEEN NOW AND 15 00:00:24,300 --> 00:00:25,633 ELECTION DAY. 16 00:00:25,633 --> 00:00:26,633 AND THERE'S BEEN SOME 17 00:00:26,633 --> 00:00:28,366 SPECULATION THAT THE VULNERABLE 18 00:00:28,366 --> 00:00:29,866 REPUBLICAN INCUMBENTS MIGHT NOT 19 00:00:29,866 --> 00:00:31,666 WANT TO CAST A VOTE BEFORE 20 00:00:31,666 --> 00:00:32,933 ELECTION DAY. 21 00:00:32,933 --> 00:00:34,966 NOW, JUST IN THE LAST DAY, 22 00:00:34,966 --> 00:00:37,233 SEVERAL OF THOSE ENDANGERED 23 00:00:37,233 --> 00:00:38,366 REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID THEY'RE 24 00:00:38,366 --> 00:00:40,200 SIGNED ON WITH McCONNELL-- 25 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,100 JONI ERNST IN IOWA, TILLIS IN 26 00:00:42,100 --> 00:00:43,633 NORTH CAROLINA, McSALLY IN 27 00:00:43,633 --> 00:00:45,800 ARIZONA-- AND SO, WHAT WE DON'T 28 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,366 KNOW IS, ARE THERE FOUR 29 00:00:47,366 --> 00:00:49,266 REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE, APART 30 00:00:49,266 --> 00:00:50,666 FROM SUSAN COLLINS, WHO SAID SHE 31 00:00:50,666 --> 00:00:52,500 WOULD PREFER TO WAIT, LISA 32 00:00:52,500 --> 00:00:54,133 MURKOWSKI, WHO SAID SHE DOESN'T 33 00:00:54,133 --> 00:00:55,300 THINK THERE SHOULD BE A VOTE 34 00:00:55,300 --> 00:00:57,000 'TIL THE NEW PRESIDENT IS 35 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,833 CHOSEN, CHUCK GRASSLEY, FORMER 36 00:01:00,833 --> 00:01:01,900 CHAIRMAN OF THE JUDICIARY 37 00:01:01,900 --> 00:01:03,300 COMMITTEE, HAS ALSO SAID THAT-- 38 00:01:03,300 --> 00:01:04,466 BUT THAT LEAVES ONLY THREE IF 39 00:01:04,466 --> 00:01:06,000 THEY ALL DO THAT. 40 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:07,700 MANY, MANY OTHER REPUBLICANS 41 00:01:07,700 --> 00:01:09,466 HAVE DONE A COMPLETE 180 AROUND 42 00:01:09,466 --> 00:01:11,666 THEIR POSITION BACK IN 2016 WHEN 43 00:01:11,666 --> 00:01:13,100 THEY SAID NO VOTE IN A 44 00:01:13,100 --> 00:01:14,733 PRESIDENTIAL YEAR. 45 00:01:14,733 --> 00:01:16,066 AND SO, IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO 46 00:01:16,066 --> 00:01:17,366 McCONNELL IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO 47 00:01:17,366 --> 00:01:18,533 TO DECIDE, DOES HE WANT TO TRY A 48 00:01:18,533 --> 00:01:20,500 VOTE NOW, OR DOES HE WANT TO 49 00:01:20,500 --> 00:01:22,200 WAIT 'TIL AFTER THE ELECTION AND 50 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,366 DO IT IN A LAME DUCK SESSION? 51 00:01:24,366 --> 00:01:25,366 >> Sreenivasan: AND THINGS COULD 52 00:01:25,366 --> 00:01:26,366 GET CONTENTIOUS. 53 00:01:26,366 --> 00:01:27,866 I MEAN, DEMOCRATS WOULDN'T LIKE 54 00:01:27,866 --> 00:01:29,066 THIS IDEA. 55 00:01:29,066 --> 00:01:30,766 >> IF TRUMP WINS IN NOVEMBER, 56 00:01:30,766 --> 00:01:31,766 THIS ISSUE ESSENTIALLY GOES 57 00:01:31,766 --> 00:01:32,800 AWAY. 58 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,133 BECAUSE EVEN IF THE DEMOCRATS 59 00:01:34,133 --> 00:01:35,166 WERE TO WIND UP TAKING THE 60 00:01:35,166 --> 00:01:36,366 SENATE, THE LAME DUCK 61 00:01:36,366 --> 00:01:37,466 REPUBLICANS IN NOVEMBER COULD 62 00:01:37,466 --> 00:01:38,966 SAY, LOOK, THE PEOPLE CHOSE 63 00:01:38,966 --> 00:01:40,666 TRUMP, IT'S HIS NOMINATION AND 64 00:01:40,666 --> 00:01:42,033 FINE. 65 00:01:42,033 --> 00:01:43,833 IF TRUMP WERE TO LOSE AND THE 66 00:01:43,833 --> 00:01:45,933 SENATE WERE TO GO DEMOCRATIC AND 67 00:01:45,933 --> 00:01:47,200 THE LAME DUCK REPUBLICAN STILL 68 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:48,633 SAID, WE'RE GOING TO CONFIRM 69 00:01:48,633 --> 00:01:49,900 TRUMP'S NOMINEE IN LATE 70 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:51,366 NOVEMBER, THEN YOU'RE TALKING 71 00:01:51,366 --> 00:01:52,966 ABOUT WHATEVER ANALOGY YOU LIKE. 72 00:01:52,966 --> 00:01:55,066 DEFCON ONE, ARMAGEDDON ON 73 00:01:55,066 --> 00:01:56,166 STEROIDS. 74 00:01:56,166 --> 00:01:57,633 AS CHUCK SCHUMER SAID, 75 00:01:57,633 --> 00:01:59,166 EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE. 76 00:01:59,166 --> 00:02:00,733 THAT COULD MEAN EXPANDING THE 77 00:02:00,733 --> 00:02:02,466 SIZE OF THE SUPREME COURT. 78 00:02:02,466 --> 00:02:03,733 IT COULD MEAN GIVING STATEHOOD 79 00:02:03,733 --> 00:02:06,300 TO PUERTO RICO AND PERHAPS THE 80 00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:07,733 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR FOUR 81 00:02:07,733 --> 00:02:09,633 MORE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS. 82 00:02:09,633 --> 00:02:12,666 THAT MEANS THE ENTIRE FRAMEWORK 83 00:02:12,666 --> 00:02:14,000 OF OUR SYSTEM IS BEING 84 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,533 ESSENTIALLY REDUCED TO WHO HAS 85 00:02:15,533 --> 00:02:16,533 THE POWER. 86 00:02:16,533 --> 00:02:18,733 >> Sreenivasan: IT SEEMS LIKE 87 00:02:18,733 --> 00:02:22,233 THIS WILL GALVANIZE PEOPLE ON 88 00:02:22,233 --> 00:02:24,366 BOTH SIDES TO GET OUT AND VOTE. 89 00:02:24,366 --> 00:02:26,366 >> FOUR YEARS AGO, IT WAS CLEAR 90 00:02:26,366 --> 00:02:29,266 THAT THE ISSUE OF A SUPREME 91 00:02:29,266 --> 00:02:31,133 COURT JUSTICE WAS HELPING TRUMP. 92 00:02:31,133 --> 00:02:32,300 IT GOT ALL THE SOCIAL 93 00:02:32,300 --> 00:02:33,333 CONSERVATIVES WHO WERE WORRIED 94 00:02:33,333 --> 00:02:34,866 ABOUT TRUMP'S PERSONAL BEHAVIOR 95 00:02:34,866 --> 00:02:36,200 BACK IN LINE. 96 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:37,300 AND THEY WERE MOSTLY WORRIED 97 00:02:37,300 --> 00:02:38,633 BECAUSE SCALIA, THE MOST 98 00:02:38,633 --> 00:02:41,200 MILITANT CONSERVATIVE, WAS GONE, 99 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:42,500 AND THEY WERE WORRIED THAT AN 100 00:02:42,500 --> 00:02:45,300 OBAMA PICK WOULD FLIP THE COURT. 101 00:02:45,300 --> 00:02:48,266 THIS TIME IT'S THE LIBERAL ICON 102 00:02:48,266 --> 00:02:49,766 WHO HAS DEPARTED. 103 00:02:49,766 --> 00:02:51,166 AND DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING, WELL, 104 00:02:51,166 --> 00:02:52,433 YOU KNOW, ONE MORE CONSERVATIVE 105 00:02:52,433 --> 00:02:53,433 JUSTICE. 106 00:02:53,433 --> 00:02:54,466 THERE GOES THE AFFORDABLE HEALTH 107 00:02:54,466 --> 00:02:55,466 CARE PLAN. 108 00:02:55,466 --> 00:02:57,066 THERE GOES ABORTION RIGHTS. 109 00:02:57,066 --> 00:02:58,933 THERE GOES THE WHOLE AGENDA. 110 00:02:58,933 --> 00:03:00,700 AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT IN THE 111 00:03:00,700 --> 00:03:02,566 LAST 24 HOURS, A LIBERAL 112 00:03:02,566 --> 00:03:04,433 FUNDRAISING GROUP, ACTBLUE, HAS 113 00:03:04,433 --> 00:03:08,466 RAISED $91 MILLION, WHICH 114 00:03:08,466 --> 00:03:10,200 SUGGESTS THAT THE TRADITIONAL 115 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,766 ANALYSIS THAT A CONSERVATIVE IS 116 00:03:12,766 --> 00:03:14,866 HELPED BY A SUPREME COURT FIGHT, 117 00:03:14,866 --> 00:03:16,300 THAT MAY HAVE FLIPPED THIS YEAR. 118 00:03:16,300 --> 00:03:17,300 WE'LL FIND OUT. 119 00:03:17,300 --> 00:03:18,400 >> Sreenivasan: JEFF GREENFIELD, 120 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:19,400 THANKS SO MUCH. 121 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:19,900 >> THANK YOU, HARI.