EJ Montini

opinion columnist

I confess, I just don't get these guys. (And I'm kind of happy about that.)

First, Sen. Jeff Flake acts all holier-than-thou, asking Democrats to play nice and go along with President Trump's nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, after Republicans stonewalled President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for nearly a year, until it ran out.

Now, Sen. John McCain is lamenting the fact that Republicans in the Senate may change the filibuster rule so that a justice can be confirmed with a simple majority of 51 votes rather than 60, which Gorsuch doesn't have.

How the filibuster worked before

The filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to override, has been a mainstay of the Senate for generations, a way to get the often-divided body to find some measure of compromise. And it has worked. It works with legislation.

And it could be used to find a moderate candidate. A judge that would be acceptable to both sides,

Democrats balked at President Ronald Reagan's selection of Judge Robert Bork for the Supreme Court. It became one of the most divisive fights in American political history. It's difficult to believe that animosity could be anything close to what exists today. But it did.

And it took a while, but the Senate eventually reached a compromise -- they really did -- and settled on the right-leaning (but more moderate candidate) Anthony Kennedy, who was confirmed 97-0 and has gone on to become an invaluable moderate voice on the court.

The same thing could be done this time around.

Instead, Republicans seem bent on changing the rule, which McCain doesn't want to happen. Or so he says.

"I've honestly tried my best. I've had numerous conversations. It's just, we have such a polarized environment here," Sen. McCain told the Hill.

So .. is stupid is as stupid does?

When a reporter suggested that some think the filibuster change would be good for the Senate, McCain answered, "Whoever said that is a stupid idiot."

Adding, "This is a severe body blow to the Senate as an institution."

Fine. Then ... do ... not ... do ... it.

Vote against the change. Work to get others to vote against the change. Changing the rule is taking the easy way out, the exact opposite of what is supposed to happen in the Senate, which is meant to be a deliberative body.

In governmental terms, the grown-up in the room.

Instead, if the decision to alter the filibuster rule passes, and McCain goes along with it, then the U.S. Senate of the United States of America -- according to one of its longest serving members -- will be run by a majority of "stupid idiots."

Including himself.