Political futures: “The judicial nomination dramatically expands the aperture of the 2020 election. Instead of Trump the raging Twitter personality versus the Joe Biden who has been around forever, you have a larger choice between the Republican Party, which is doing its duty, and the Democratic Party, which is threatening to alter the constitutional order.” —Michael Brendan Doughterty

Observations: “The left is disenchanted with our country, and especially its governing institutions, which it believes are shot through with racism and deeply undemocratic. Democrats have gone from assuming a few years ago that they have a permanent majority to assuming that they can’t possibly win under such a rigged system.” —Rich Lowry

Upright: “Let’s stop pretending like Dems’ threats to pack the court is only in retaliation to Republicans confirming a nominee.  If [Republicans] don’t confirm, Dems will still pack the court.” —Allie Beth Stuckey

For the record: “The week after President Jimmy Carter lost his 1980 re-election bid, he announced the judicial nomination of a close ally of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Ted Kennedy. The nomination sailed through the Senate, which confirmed the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge 80-10 less than a month later, six weeks before Inauguration Day. That nominee, Stephen Breyer, now sits on the Supreme Court. … Another bit of history: In 1980, [Joe] Biden voted to confirm Judge Breyer.” —David B. Rivkin Jr. and Andrew M. Grossman 

Hyper hypocrisy: “If Republicans go forward and reverse the precedent they set in 2016, the Senate will never, ever be the same. It will be changed forever.” —Senator Chris Murphy

Demo-gogues: “By all rights, by every modicum of decency and honor, Leader McConnell and the Republican Senate majority have no right to fill it, no right. … I worry for the future of this chamber if the Republican majority proceeds down this dangerous path. If a Senate majority over the course of six years steals two Supreme Court seats using completely contradictory rationales, how could we expect to trust the other side again? If, when push comes to shove, when the stakes are the highest, the other side will double-cross their own standards when it’s politically advantageous, tell me how this would not spell the end of this supposedly great deliberative body, because I don’t see how.” —Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

And last… “Yes, we should probably turn over the appointment of a Supreme Court justice, whose job it is to uphold the Constitution, to a group of people threatening to pack the court, impeach for pure politics, and add states willy-nilly. Can’t see the downside.” —Ben Shapiro