What’s a confirmation vote for Judge Neil Gorsuch worth? Not much if it came from Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind. At least that’s what Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., seems to think.
While Messer hasn’t officially challenged Donnelly for Senate, he’s already throwing elbows at his potential 2018 opponent. In his estimation, Donnelly’s support for the Trump nominee wasn’t courageous bipartisanship. “Truth is,” Messer says, “he had no choice.”
When Donnelly refused to filibuster the Supreme Court nominee, two other Democrats followed suit: Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Early out of the gate against Donnelly, Messer is the first Republican grappling with any goodwill his opponent may have generated by siding with Trump. So far, his strategy has been to dismiss it.
“Indiana voters overwhelmingly demanded that vote,” Messer tells the Washington Examiner. “Too often, Joe ignores Hoosiers and joins D.C.’s left-wing establishment. His own words acknowledge that fact.”
Hours before the vote on Gorsuch’s nomination, Messer notes, Donnelly huddled with the South Bend Tribune’s editorial board to quell liberal outrage. “You love nine out of 10 of my decisions,” the senator said, pointing to his support for Obamacare and immigration reform. “So on the last one, you’re going to burn the house down?”
If Donnelly sounds a bit desperate, it’s understandable. The Democrat faces an electoral abyss in a red state that Trump carried by 19 points. He’s trying to court conservatives while reminding liberals of his faithfulness. It doesn’t seem to be working.
Donnelly hasn’t received any bipartisanship dividends like the bonuses Heitkamp and Manchin have experienced. While their approval ratings improved after backing Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, the Indiana Democrat’s numbers have dropped by 3 percentage points. And if Messer continues to devalue Donnelly’s stock, it could continue to plummet.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
