While I agree with the intent of this proposal, I fear that accomplishing anything that would threaten the Republicans’ lockdown on our government functions would require shifting the political dynamic of the states, or creating more states from urban population centers in red states. The latter may actually be the easier route, and would only require a few such city/states to tip the scales. Imagine the impact on Michigan if Detroit declared statehood. It would pick up two Senators and most of the house representatives of the state, not leaving much behind to create political chicanery as we have seen so rampant during McConnell’s tenure as leader.

While it is easy to blame McConnell for such absurdities as denying a sitting President the power to nominate SC justices as mandated in our Constitution one cannot simply dismiss Obama’s lackluster objection, or the complete failure of any Democrat to mount a pushback to such obvious corruption. It shouldn’t matter if such nomination is the last act of the President as s/he packs his/her bags to leave the Whitehouse. This was especially flagrant given the much-touted status of Obama as a Constitutional scholar. Without a serious opposition party, we might just as well combine the parties as the houses of Congress.