Bill Cassidy, with a habit of casting deciding votes that confirm even Trump's worst nominees, admits he's not sure about Todd Blanche's devotion to the Constitution, but he voted for him anyway

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If any rational Americans are uncertain about whether the postmodern Republican Party has become an unserious political cesspool that serves no purpose in our democracy, any such doubts should be washed away, as of yesterday.Why? Let's address that question by examining the actions of U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). 

Cassidy is the gentleman who has developed a troubling habit of casting votes to confirm even the most preposterously unqualified, incompetent, and integrity-challenged nominees Donald Trump could drudge up in his second term. On Feb. 13, 2025, Cassidy cast the deciding vote to confirm RFK Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary, even though he had voiced strong disagreement with the nominee's stance on vaccines. At about 4:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Cassidy did it again, casting the deciding vote that made Todd Blanche Attorney General of the United States-- even though (get this) Cassidy admitted he did not fully trust Blanche to abide by the U.S. Constitution, but he voted for him anyway.

While you are trying not to choke on your Egg McMuffin, let's consider this: Cassidy, as a U.S. senator, and Blanche, as attorney general, have taken (or will take) oaths of office that essentially are the same. Here is the gist of what they both do solemnly swear:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

I think it's safe to say the crux of that oath is the part I've highlighted in yellow. In short, you publicly vow that the U.S. Constitution is a very big deal to you; you vow to support and defend it against all enemies; you vow to "bear true faith and allegiance" to the document.

Now, let's take a look at a report from Raw Story that indicates neither Cassidy nor Blanche appear to take their oaths all that seriously. Under the headline "GOP senator who ensured Todd Blanche's confirmation makes stunning confession," Kathleen Culliton writes:

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) confessed Sunday he doesn't entirely trust soon-to-be Attorney General Todd Blanche to uphold the Constitution — but voted to confirm his nomination anyway.

Cassidy, the Republican Senator who made Blanche's confirmation possible by agreeing to vote the party line, made this stunning admission on Face the Nation Sunday morning when asked point blank if he trusted Blanche.

"There's always an existential anxiety, but I am as confident you can be," said Cassidy. "I can't predict the future." (Note: A transcript of the Cassidy interview can be viewed at this link.)

Cassidy did not come across as a profile in courage during his interview with Margaret Brennan, moderator of Face the Nation. Culliton writes:

Cassidy also admitted he was close to tears when he announced he would support President Donald Trump's nominee, despite mounting concerns that Blanche had already managed to make the Justice department a "shambles."

Cassidy said he choked up because it was such an honor to vote.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) refused to vote for Blanche because of his handling of the Epstein files, immunity protections granted to the Trump family, and repeated attacks on the president's political rivals, she said Friday.

Conservative former judge J. Michael Luttig said of Cassidy and Republicans who did not follow in Murkowski's footsteps, "They will bear this badge of shame the rest of their lives."

But Cassidy, despite stated misgivings about Blanche's willingness to uphold the Constitution, said on Sunday he stood by his decision — even though he almost voted no. 

Here is a bottom-line question to ponder: Does Todd Blanche have the goods to serve the nation as an effective and fair-minded AG, deeply committed to the U.S. Constitution? My answer is "absolutely not," and it's not a close call. Of all the wretched nominees Trump has put forward, Todd Blanche is almost certainly the worst of all -- even worse than Pam Bondi, his predecessor as AG, and I thought no one could be worse than her. (BTW: Bondi has ties to Alabama, our former home base and the place where the Legal Schnauzer blog was born, through her ties to the Republican Attorneys General Association [RAGA] and an Alabama lawyer with a curious personal history named Jessica Medeiros Garrison. Bondi's ties to Trump predate his first term as president -- and revolve around a short-circuited investigation in Florida of Trump University. We reported on the Trump-Bondi axis during that time period. We will have much more on Todd Blanche, Pam Bondi and Trump University, and the nifty machinations that Bondi and Medeiros Garrison engaged in while serving as leading officials with RAGA -- those activities, by the way, were dubious enough to attract the attention of The New York Times. )