Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Is Reid pushing through on Cadish, or turning her into Joan of Arc?

News today that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid intends to try to persuade Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy to buck tradition and hold a hearing for his nominee to the federal bench means one of two things:

1. Reid intends to ensure Elissa Cadish gets a hearing.

2. Reid intends to ensure he looks as if he wants Elissa Cadish to get a hearing.

Reid is in a box, as I have argued previously. Heller will not change his mind, and although I firmly believe he did not want this public conflict with Reid, he has nothing to lose.

I do not see the political upside here for Reid, who I believe is personally invested in Cadish and may actually believe she is getting a raw deal. But he is too smart not to know she will never be confirmed because of her Second Amendment position -- one Republican said a hearing would "start a nuclear war" in the Senate -- so he’s either acting out of ego or preparing a charade:

“Hey, Pat, let’s just say I asked you for a hearing and you insisted the tradition is paramount.”

“But won’t that make you look weak as a leader, Harry?”

“Nah. I can just say I respect the tradition, too, and I will criticize Heller again.”

“Works for me.”

And this is the way a judicial nomination ends…..

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