But McConnell’s attempt to explain his blatantly political change of heart about Supreme Court vacancies is more tortured. As I wrote in October, there haven’t been many cross-party Supreme Court nominations in an election year because there haven’t been that many cross-party Supreme Court vacancies in an election year:McConnell isn’t wrong that the Senate of one party rarely confirms an opposing president’s Supreme Court nominee in an election year. A Fix analysis found that there have been just 13 election-year Supreme Court vacancies since 1800. There’s no law that the Senate has to fill Supreme Court vacancies as soon as they open, or ever. McConnell is changing his mind on Supreme Court vacancies in an election year to benefit him and his party.

Source: Washington Post May 29, 2019 11:26 UTC