Subject: Today from the Constitutional Responsibility Project
From: Sam Michel <[email-masked]>
To: Sam Michel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 May 2016 22:33:43 +0000

Now that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, the Senate Republicans' unprecedented position of obstruction means just one thing: they want Donald Trump to pick the next Supreme Court Justice.

Republican leaders have called Trump "pathetic," "a nut job," "uninformed" and "dangerous."  One Republican Senator called out Trump for having "no understanding of the fact that, in the American system, we have a constitutional system of checks and balances."  Yet Senate Republicans are obstructing a fair process for a bipartisan, consensus-based Supreme Court nominee whom many of them have praised and voted for in the past. Take a look at past statements by GOP Senators continuing to obstruct the Supreme Court vacancy:

Senator Graham<http://bigstory.ap.org/article/648886cc45364935bbd2ea82c8bcbdc2/graham-trump-nut-job-who-likely-wins-gop-nomination>: "He's just generally a loser as a person and a candidate," the South Carolina senator told reporters, adding, "You can't nominate a nut job and lose, and expect it doesn't have consequences."

Senator McCain<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271640-mccain-im-with-mitt-on-trump>: "I would also echo the many concerns about Mr. Trump's uninformed and indeed dangerous statements on national security issues that have been raised by 65 Republican defense and foreign policy leaders," McCain said in a statement.

Senator Sasse<http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/sasse-trump/474021/>: Sasse's highest-profile slap at Trump came late at night on February 28, when he posted "an open letter to Trump supporters" on Facebook, explaining why he could not support their guy. It was a long, impassioned discourse on American exceptionalism, the role of political parties, constitutional restraint, and other grand concepts that ultimately boiled down to: "he displays no understanding of the fact that, in the American system, we have a constitutional system of checks and balances... have you noticed how Mr. Trump uses the word 'Reign'-like he thinks he's running for King? It's creepy, actually."

Congressional Research Service: Chief Judge Merrick Garland is a pragmatic consensus-builder without an ideological agenda.
The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service reviewed Chief Judge Garland's judicial record and concluded that, if confirmed, he would be a "pragmatic voice" on the Supreme Court, prioritizing consensus over ideology.

"The report concluded 'Judge Garland's ability to garner unanimous opinions' indicates that he prioritizes 'collaboration over ideological rigidity' and suggests an ability 'to find agreement amongst colleagues with disparate views on the law in especially contentious cases if he were to be elevated to the Supreme Court'...'Judge Garland has been widely viewed as a meticulous and cautious jurist, writing with precision and an eye toward ensuring that the court does not overreach in any particular case.'"[Wall Street Journal, 5/04/16<http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2016/05/04/congressional-report-finds-pragmatic-record-for-supreme-court-nominee-garland/>]

9-9-9 Tour Stops In New Hampshire, Iowa and Missouri
The Americans United for Change's nine-state, nine-day mobile billboard tour recently stopped in Portsmouth, NH, Des Moines, IA and Jefferson City, MO with a simple message for Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Roy Blunt (R-MO): Do Your Job and Fill the Vacant Seat on the Supreme Court, or Someone Else Will Fill Yours. Pictures from today's events can be viewed below and pictures from the 9-9-9 #DoYourJob Billboard Tour can be viewed HERE<http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/blog/entries/9-9-9_billboard_tour_doyourjob_senators/>. The tour will continue this week while the Senate is in recess.

Outside Sen. Ayotte's Portsmouth office:

#DoYourJob for NH<https://twitter.com/AUFC_NH/status/727893895602966529>: Granite Staters out at @KellyAyotte's Portsmouth office telling her to #DoYourJob! #nhpolitics #nhsen #WeNeedNine
[http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/page/-/999%20Billboard%20Tour/20150504%20Portsmouth%20NH%204.jpeg]

Melissa Miller<https://twitter.com/Meliss1001/status/727891126942830593>: Hey @KellyAyotte call your office. #nhsen #nhpolitics #DoYourJob
[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Chn9H4eWEAAOKe2.jpg]

Outside Sen. Blunt's Jefferson City office:

NARAL Missouri<https://twitter.com/NARALMissouri/status/727941407197913088>: #DoYourJob @RoyBlunt #WeNeed9
[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Choq00tUUAEmCv4.jpg]

Alison Dreith<https://twitter.com/alidreith/status/727937083810168833>: Traveling billboard outside of @RoyBlunt's office to tell him to #DoYourJob like we do ours everyday. #WeNeed9
[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Chom5jXVIAAZ19n.jpg:large]

Outside Sen. Grassley's Des Moines office:

Progress Iowa<https://twitter.com/ProgressIowa/status/727908655434096640>: Crowd boos when it's mentioned Grassley is holding off nomination so Trump can appoint now #DoYourJob
[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChoNDMUUkAAmon6.jpg:large]

Progress Iowa<https://twitter.com/ProgressIowa/status/727904983895539712>: The #DoYourJob mobile billboard is here outside Grassley's DSM office - making its way across the state
[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChoJtoUVIAArAmC.jpg]

A look ahead at a sampling of activity by our grassroots allies:

THURSDAY 5/05/16

Event: Press Call with former Arizona Chief Justice, AZ state bar association president, Hispanic National Bar Association President
Time: 2PM CT
Host: Americans United for Change

Event: Dayton #DoYourJob event
Location: RTA Cultural Center , 40 S Edwin C Moses Blvd, Dayton, OH 45402
Time: 2PM local time
Host: OEA/WeNeedNine
Press Contact: Joanne Pickrell, 614-364-1442, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Event: Greensboro #DoYourJob event
Location: Outside Old Guilford County Courthouse, Greensboro, NC 27401
Time: 12PM local time
Host: Americans United for Change
Press Contact: Gerrick Brenner, 919-452-2248, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Event: Phoenix #DoYourJob event
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Host: Americans United for Change
Press Contact: Rodd McCleod, 347-387-1010, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Event: #DoYourJob NH Coalition recess protest
Location: Sen. Ayotte's Manchester Office, 1200 Elm Street, Suite 2
Manchester, NH 03101-2503
Time: 12PM local time
Press Contact: Liz Purdy, 603-731-2200, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Event: Youngstown #DoYourJob event with Rep. Tim Ryan
Location: Youngstown, OH
Host: Americans United for Change
Press Contact: Joanne Pickrell, 614-364-1442, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

FRIDAY 5/06/16

Event: Madison #DoYourJob event
Location: 210 MLK Jr. Blvd, Madison WI (outside city/county building)
Time: 1:30PM local time
Host: Americans United for Change, Paul Greenen
Press Contact: Tanya Bjork, 608-217-3151, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>, Joe Zepecki, 202-445-1517, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Event: Milwaukee #DoYourJob event
Location: 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Time: 10:30AM local time
Host: Americans United for Change, Paul Greenen
Press Contact: Tanya Bjork, 608-217-3151, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>, Joe Zepecki, 202-445-1517, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Event: Raleigh #DoYourJob event
Location: 607 Pollock Blvd., outside the Gov Mansion, Raleigh, NC
Time: 3PM local time
Host: Americans United for Change
Press Contact: Gerrick Brenner, 919-452-2248, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Event: Columbus Moms Roundtable
Location: Roosevelt Coffee Shop, 300 E Long St, Columbus, OH 43215
Time: 10AM local Time
Host: SEIU/Planned Parenthood/Moms Clean Airforce
Press Contact: Joanne Pickrell, 614-364-1442, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

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