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U.S. newS Dialuna 19 OctOber 2020

GOP, Dems hope Supreme Court fight bolsters Senate prospects

(AP) — For Republicans,
the nomination fight
over Amy Coney Bar-
rett is a chance to seal
conservative control of
the Supreme Court for
decades. For some GOP
senators, it's also a lifeline
they hope will preserve
their political careers and
their party's control of the
chamber in November's
elections.

The battle over President
Donald Trump's pick is let-
ting Senate Republicans fac-
ing tough reelections high-
light issues like abortion and
link themselves to a conserva-
tive, religious woman whose
confirmation seems certain.
Most importantly, they hope
it will change the subject
from Trump and his failure
to control the coronavirus
pandemic, which threaten to
make Election Day miserable
for the GOP.
But even some Republicans
privately doubt the court bat-
tle will distract voters enough
to make a difference. And
Democrats are appealing to the nomination fight, accord- dential nominee and a Judi- A poll by The Associated gressive Demand Justice.
voters too, saying the GOP- ing to Kantar/CMAG, the ciary Committee member. Press-NORC Center for Ironically, Democrats have
led Senate is ignoring greater ad-tracking firm. Democrats She recited the number of Public Affairs Research, spent most of their money on
needs to quickly cement a 6-3 have advertised in seven Sen- people from those states who conducted mostly before Supreme Court-themed ads
conservative court majority, ate races and Republicans in she said would lose coverage nomination hearings began, against Sen. Susan Collins,
threatening Democratic pri- eight. All but one, Sen. Doug if the justices strike down the showed Americans roughly R-Maine. She and Alaska
orities like former President Jones' uphill effort to survive health care law. The court is evenly divided among favor- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who's
Barack Obama's health care in GOP-dominated Alabama, scheduled to hear arguments ing her confirmation, oppos- not facing reelection, are
law and the right to abortion. are contests where Republi- in a GOP-backed case seek- ing it and being uncertain. In the only two Republicans
“The Senate has a big job to cans are defending seats. ing to dismantle the statute a recent survey by The Wash- expected to oppose Barrett,
do right now, and that's fight- In a common GOP theme, a the week after the election. ington Post and ABC News, but Democrats think the is-
ing the virus and getting peo- spot by Senate candidate Rep. No GOP senator stood to a slight majority of registered sue helps emphasize Collins'
ple the relief they need,” said Roger Marshall of Kansas potentially benefit more than voters said they’d prefer let- support for the divisive presi-
Democratic consultant Rodd says Democratic challenger Graham, the Judiciary chair- ting the next elected presi- dent.
McLeod, citing long-stalled Barbara Bollier would be man. dent fill the seat. One spot by Democratic
economic relief legislation. “just another liberal rubber Seeking his fourth term from “It's motivating both parties' challenger Sara Gideon pic-
“Instead, they're rushing stamp” for judges favored by a state where Trump remains bases for sure," said Republi- tures Collins with Kavana-
through this nomination.” Democratic leaders. popular, Graham faces a tos- can pollster Robert Blizzard. ugh. Collins' decisive vote for
There are competitive races The liberal group Demand sup contest against Democrat “It's not changing the narra- him has been a major issue in
for around a dozen GOP- Justice is running its own Jaime Harrison, who raised tive or the trajectory of the her campaign. “Susan Collins
held seats as the party de- ad against incumbent GOP a record $57 million in this races. But that's today," he is an enabler," the announcer
fends its 53-47 Senate ma- senators in Arizona, Colo- year's third quarter. Chairing said, citing possible unfore- says.
jority in next month’s elec- rado, Iowa, Maine and North the televised hearings gave seen events by Election Day. Collins has said she'll op-
tions. About half of them are Carolina, hitting them for Graham four days to boast So far, Democratic senators pose Barrett because Repub-
in states like Montana and ignoring the pandemic while about golfing with Trump, and outside groups opposing licans were rushing the vote
Kansas where Trump won “rushing to play politics with demonstrate how GOP Sen- Barrett have used measured too close to the presidential
easily in 2016 and embracing the court." ate control means more con- tones against her. election. When a vacancy
Barrett should win broad ap- Four GOP senators in com- servative judges and to ges- That contrasts with the 2018 occurred in February 2016,
proval. But the rest are in bat- petitive campaigns are on the ture to women voters, many confirmation fight over the GOP refused to consider
tleground states like Arizona, Senate Judiciary Commit- of whom have fled the party Trump Supreme Court nom- Obama's nominee, claiming
Georgia, Iowa and Maine, tee, which wrapped up hear- because of Trump. inee Brett Kavanaugh, who that year's election was too
where backing her is riskier. ings Thursday on Barrett's Graham said Barrett's con- was accused of a decades-old soon.
Either way, both sides are us- nomination. All four — John firmation will pierce “a re- sexual assault that he denied.
ing the Supreme Court battle Cornyn of Texas, Lindsey inforced concrete barrier Republicans turned raucous
in fundraising appeals and Graham of South Carolina, around conservative wom- public protests into a weapon
other ways that underscore Joni Ernst of Iowa and Thom en." Barrett, 48, has previ- for that fall's elections, ac-
its political potency. Tillis of North Carolina — ously expressed opposition to cusing Democrats of using
From the day after the Sep- used the sessions to praise abortion but during the hear- “mobs” to oppose him.
tember death of Justice Ruth Barrett and flash opposition ings asserted that as a justice This week, no public wit-
Bader Ginsburg — whose to abortion or champion oth- she'd set aside her personal nesses were allowed in the
vacancy Barrett will fill — er hot-button conservative views. hearing room because of
through this Wednesday, favorites. So far, public opinion polls COVID-19 restrictions. “It's
each party has spent around That didn't escape the notice offer little evidence that sup- not a strategic choice, it's a
$4 million on broadcast TV of Sen. Kamala Harris, D- porting Barrett is a clear win- fact of the times,” said Brian
commercials highlighting Calif., her party's vice presi- ner. Fallon, who heads the pro-