Supreme Court vacancy watch Day 68: Harry Reid shows what Mitch McConnell's word is worth—nothing

It's Wednesday, April 21, and Day 68 since Justice Antonin Scalia died and Mitch McConnell laid down his Supreme Court blockade: no meetings, no hearings, no votes on his replacement. It's also Day 36 since President Obama named Merrick Garland to be Scalia's replacement. What's the Senate doing today instead of considering the Supreme Court nominee? 

The Senate is still working on an appropriations bill that will probably never make it to the floor in the zoo that is otherwise known as the House of Representatives. 

But here's the interesting thing that happened on the floor today. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid revealed a long-standing broken promise from McConnell over a key confirmation vote. You can watch the video below the fold.

In December of 2014, the Republican leader and the senator from South Dakota, Senator Thune, came to me here on the floor and asked me if I would agree to confirm a Republican commissioner to the federal communications commission. The man's name was Michael Riley. […] I said this is kind of an unusual request since everyone knows that the two leaders, when we have a commission that we're going to staff with our selections, he and I have the right to do that, that we always pair them. A Democrat, a Republican and a Democrat and Republican. We pair them.[…] But they talked for awhile longer […] and I relented after having made an arrangement. […] I would agree to do that provided that when the new congress convened in less than a month that we would take care of […] the Democrat […] Jessica Rosenworcel. That was the agreement. 

[…] Mr. President, I didn't have to agree to this. I did it because the Republican leader said he would do his part and get her confirmed. I'm sorry to report to the world, to the senate that I was wrong. Over the last 16 months the Republican leader has refused to fill his commitment. He hasn't kept his word.

That tells you how much you can rely on McConnell to allow a vote on a Supreme Court nominee from a Democratic president next year, after the people have spoken. It's why taking the Senate back is paramount.  

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