"The Nuclear Option" may be the most ridiculous term coined by man since "shawty." One type of nuke kills thousands; the other just shuts up Sen. Schumer so fairly elected government officials may conduct business.
In 1968, Republicans threatened a filibuster to block the nomination of Justice Abe Fortas to the role of Chief Justice. Let's see if Trump nominee Neil Gorsuch rises to the level of unacceptability that Fortas did:
Fortas was violating the separation of powers by sitting in on White House staff meetings, AS A MEMBER OF THE SUPREME COURT! Gorsuch has done, and would do, no such thing.
Fortas would tell his friend, President LBJ, about secret SCOTUS deliberations! No one is accusing Gorsuch of being that tied-in to President Trump, or suggesting he would do something so outrageous.
Fortas' pockets were lined with private business money, funneled to him via university speeches. Again, no one is even hinting that Judge Gorsuch has ever been, or would ever be, comprised in such a way.
In 1968, President Johnson withdrew the nomination. Facing a Democratic filibuster, President Trump and Republicans have now changed the rules to end the blustering and get right to a vote. Why? Two reasons:
1. Because Democrats have no good reason to block the nomination of a man who is supremely qualified and without scandal other than because they are simply suffering from a throbbing case of Electionlossitis, known to the layman as "butt hurt."
2. Because this AMAZING "nuclear option" was used FOUR YEARS AGO BY DEMOCRATS -- without gasping and opposition by the media -- and was PROMISED BY REID AND KAINE ON LAST YEAR'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL when they thought they would win the White House and retain control of the Senate.
As I used to say to my mom when I was a kid and needed attention (no, I haven't grown out of that, have I?), "Yook-at-dis, Mom! Yook-at-dis!":