Dem
47
GOP
53
Kamala Harris is running for president for the third time. After all, she really wants to be president and that ought to be good enough. She understands she has to do something different than in round #1 and #2. Maybe this time she will run in the kinda-sorta-progressive-lite lane. To curry favor with her new hoped-for base, she is now open to expanding the Supreme Court to 13 justices, to match the existing 13 circuits. Her slogan could be: "One justice, one circuit," or something.
She is also now open to statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico. She is not a very good politician and we expect her to crash and burn again before Super Tuesday, if not earlier. Being "open to" these changes is like Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) being "concerned." If Harris wants to get votes from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, she shouldn't be "open to" these things. She should say: If I win, on Jan. 20, 2029, at 1 p.m., I will ask Congress to expand the Supreme Court. At 2 p.m., I will ask Congress to admit D.C. and P.R. as states. She is not saying that. Doing these things would immediately hit the filibuster if Republicans are in the minority in 2029. She should have a plan for this. The easiest one is to add carve outs for them. Just as budget reconciliation bills, judicial nominations, fast-track trade agreements, and dozens of other things can't be filibustered, Democrats could add a few more carve outs.
And her soft support for a 13-member Supreme Court will have to compete with Pete Buttigieg's full-throated call for a 15-member Court. On the other hand, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), in his campaign to de-woke himself, is skeptical of Court expansion, but could come around in the heat of a primary. (V)