Where is Pat Toomey? That’s what Pennsylvanians and press want to know. One week into a two week recess, Toomey has held no public events and refused to take questions on the Supreme Court, Donald Trump or the myriad issues he wishes would be swept under the rug.
But even without a physical presence, Toomey’s all over the media for his dizzying position on filling the high court vacancy, an attempt to muddy the waters by saying he’d meet Judge Merrick Garland (to tell him he won’t consider his nomination), and spinning the fact that Trump won’t be fatal to his re-election.
In a fitting end to Toomey’s tough week, The Cook Political Report moved the Pennsylvania Senate race from leaning his way to the toss-up column.
Catch-up on it all:
SUNDAY
York Dispatch: Editorial: Do your jobs
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his party overwhelmingly plan to deny confirmation hearings for any Supreme Court nominee put forth by Obama. Among those obstructing the process is Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.
POLITIFACT: Harry Reid says unlike the GOP, Senate Democrats never held up a Supreme Court nomination
POLITIFACT: Mitch McConnell exaggerates ‘tradition’ of not confirming election year Supreme Court nominees
MONDAY
Washington Post: With chants of ‘do your job,’ protesters take aim at GOP Supreme Court blockade
They were among about 20 picketers bearing signs reading “Do Your Job” and “Hold a Hearing, Take a Vote” who greeted Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) as he arrived at a private breakfast event here — one of a series of nationwide protests aimed at forcing Senate consideration of Supreme Court nominee Merrick B. Garland.
Allentown Morning Call: Activists target Pat Toomey over opposition to Supreme Court nominee
With the U.S. Senate on a break from its session in Washington, Democrats and liberal activists are targeting Republican Sen. Pat Toomey on his home turf over his opposition to considering President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee.
On Monday, demonstrators waved signs outside Toomey’s office in Salisbury Township, hired a plane to fly over downtown Harrisburg with a banner directing him to “do your job,” and ambushed the senator outside a breakfast event in State College.
WFMZ: “Dozens of demonstrators, in fact, gathered outside Senator Pat Toomey’s office in Allentown”
Associated Press: Back in state, Toomey gets hit over Trump, Obama nominee
Democrats worked to apply pressure Monday on Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, trying to tie him to Donald Trump and accusing him of obstructionism in the battle over filling the Supreme Court vacancy.
Meanwhile, Toomey can expect demonstrators to appear at his public events and offices around Pennsylvania in the next two weeks while the Senate is in recess, urging him to consider President Barack Obama’s high court nominee.
The Daily Collegian: Senator Toomey’s arrival to Penn State met with local protesters
A mixture of about 20 students and local community members stood in just above freezing weather on top of a dusting of snow ” to greet Senator Pat Toomey at the Nittany Lion Inn Monday morning.
They held handmade signs that had phrases such as “People Over Politics,” “Toomey = Obstruction” and “#DoYourJob upon his arrival.
Philadelphia Inquirer: Toomey launches new ads as Dems keep up SCOTUS pressure
Democrats on Monday began a national blitz putting a spotlight on Toomey and other vulnerable GOP senators’ refusal to consider the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland.
Pocono Record: Editorial: Obstructionism and the Supreme Court
By Republican fiat, U.S. presidential terms are now three years, not four. That, in essence, is what Republican senators are saying when they deny Supreme Court judicial nominee Merrick Garland a hearing and a vote on whether he would be a suitable replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February.
TUESDAY
Los Angeles Times: Supreme Court battle follows Republican senators to their home states
Whether he wants to talk about it or not, Republican Sen. Patrick J. Toomey’s refusal to consider President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court is following him home for spring break.
Even before Toomey pulled up for a breakfast meeting with business leaders in State College, Pa., on Monday, protesters were picketing on the street. By lunchtime, another gaggle was braving the windy cold outside his office in Harrisburg. By week’s end they are expected to hit Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Philadelphia Tribune: Editorial: Toomey should do his job
It’s time for Toomey and fellow senators to do their job.
KYW Newsradio: “Activists staged a protest outside the Philadelphia office of Pat Toomey”
Philadelphia Inquirer: Toomey will meet with Garland but still opposes action
In a shift, Sen. Pat Toomey said Wednesday that he would meet with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, but stuck to his position that the high court vacancy should not be filled until after November’s election.
Sunbury Daily Item: Toomey to tell Garland he must wait
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey will meet with Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. But the Pennsylvania Republican says he will tell the appellate court judge that the process to replace the late Antonin Scalia must wait until after Nov. 8.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Toomey will meet with Garland but won’t change stance
Judge Merrick Garland will get a meeting with Sen. Pat Toomey. But it probably won’t be a long one.
THURSDAY
Scranton Times-Tribune: Editorial: GOP should heed Roberts
Senate Republicans should heed the chief justice and end their blind, politically motivated obstruction and conduct a fair confirmation process for Judge Garland.
Scranton Times-Tribune: Op-Ed: Toomey: Do your job, help fill SCOTUS seat
Mr. Toomey needs to remember who elected him and to whom he is beholden: the people of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Constitution. Instead of embracing Mitch McConnell’s tactics of obstructionism and gridlock, Mr. Toomey needs to do his job and fulfill his constitutional obligations. That means giving any Supreme Court nominee a fair hearing and timely vote. Anything short of that is disrespectful to Pennsylvania voters and the Constitution.
Washington Post: Republicans are hoping to run away from Donald Trump. It won’t work.
The idea of running away from a toxic (or potentially toxic) nominee seems like a sound and achievable one. It just never works.
FRIDAY
Cook Political Report: Ohio and Pennsylvania Rating Changes
Is it possible for Toomey and Portman to outperform the Republican presidential nominee and go on to win? Yes, but it is very difficult..the wider the margin of victory at the top of the ticket, the less likely a Portman or a Toomey can survive.
… If Trump proves to be a serious drag on the ticket, there isn’t much that either incumbent can do to rescue their re-election bids.