Sen. Lindsey Graham, who chaired the Judiciary Committee until Democrats took back the majority in January of 2021, said (of a vacancy next year), “I don’t know. We’ll just cross that bridge when we get there.” Graham declared Jackson wouldn’t have gotten a hearing in a Republican Senate. “She would not have been before this committee. You would have somebody more moderate than this,” he said.

The idea that Republicans would allow the confirmation of a moderate judge to the high court is laughable. Garland was a moderate choice and Jackson was confirmed on a bipartisan vote last year for the circuit court with Graham’s support. When the time comes, what qualifies a Democratic-nominated judge as a “liberal activist” will be in the eye of the Republican beholder.

When asked about McConnell’s refusal to commit to a regular process in 2023, Sen. Joe Manchin said “That’s so wrong. I think that’s our responsibility. We take an oath of office to do our job,” and added: “I just hope he doesn’t mean that.” But Manchin, and every other Democrat, and every Republican, knows that McConnell means it.

It does seem bold that Republicans would, essentially, admit in advance that a permanent blockade is in the works for next year, and perhaps forever, when it comes to Democratic-nominated judges to the high court. Manchin’s right: It is so wrong.