Memo to Utah Senator Orrin Hatch: I would like to introduce you to the man who just made you look like the obstructionist jackass you truly are. Matter of fact, allow me to introduce the man who just put the entire Republican-controlled Senate on notice: Gentlemen, meet your daddy, Barack Obama.

Just the other day, Senator Hatch, who also happens to be a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, remarked thuslyabout the upcoming announcement of a Justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia:

“The President told me several times he’s going to name a moderate [to fill the court vacancy], but I don’t believe him.

[Obama] could easily name Merrick Garland, who is a fine man. He probably won’t do that because this appointment is about the election. So I’m pretty sure he’ll name someone the [liberal Democratic base] wants.”

Hey, Orrin, you just got played like a freaking violin, brother! The President used the old reverse psychology on you and your GOP friends by naming Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. How does that make you feel?

Hatch immediately released a statement which made him look even more like a clueless asshat, noting:

“I think highly of Judge Garland. But his nomination doesn’t in any way change current circumstances. I remain convinced that the best way for the Senate to do its job is to conduct the confirmation process after this toxic presidential election season is over. Doing so is the only way to ensure fairness to a nominee and preserve the integrity of the Supreme Court.”

One wonders if the Judiciary Committee will even hold confirmation hearings, even though it’s their job to do so. If not, then it’s safe to say the GOP will lose control of the Senate when the election is held this November. And since it looks as if the Republicans may now be on the verge of nominating Donald “Titanic” Trump as their standard-bearer, they could well be looking at a historic loss that will make them even more insignificant than they already are.

Also, consider this scenario: Republicans lose majority status in the Senate, Hillary Clinton wins the White House by a huge margin, and can then nominate the most liberal judge she can find, leaving a progressive imprint on the high court for decades to come. At that point, how much will the GOP be kicking themselves for not confirming Judge Garland when they had a chance?

This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.