Republicans have been playing touch football on nominations. It’s time to tackle.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told me Monday morning, “It would take about one weekend” of keeping the Senate in session to break the logjam and start confirming nominees. Why a two week break at Easter for the Senate instead of the Good Friday afternoon off break that most working Americans received? Why not a 24/7 work week until the Senate Democrats give up their childish practice of insisting on 30 hours of debate for every nominee no matter how lopsided the confirmation vote? Why maintain the Senate’s old tradition of deference to “home state” senators on circuit and even district court nominees when former Democratic leader Harry Reid (Nev.) took a wrecking ball to the actual rules? Why, in other words, are Republicans playing touch football while Democrats play tackle?

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Originalists impatient with the one-sided clubbiness of the Senate are also frustrated with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and White House Counsel Donald McGahn. Where are the nominees? One or two or sometimes even three nominees escape the White House every other month or so, but look at the 9th Circuit and its vacancies and nominees: How can this be happening when the president owes his victory in part to his promise to appoint conservative judges? It would take a week to fill out the list and send the names forward — if there was resolve or a sense of urgency. With the GOP, it seems there never is either of those, but instead always a sense of “things will get done in due course.”

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