“I think the Democrats have to fight this tooth and nail … The base will attack the leadership for this if they allow it to happen and they should. This is the time for vengeance for what happened 2 years ago.” @HardballChris on Kennedy’s retirement. pic.twitter.com/vovZUM4wFi

While speaking on MSNBC on Wednesday, “Hardball” anchor Chris Matthews stated Democrats have to fight “tooth and nail” to hold up Justice Anthony Kennedy’s replacement on the Supreme Court until after the 2018 elections and “this is time for vengeance for what happened 2 years ago.”

Matthews said, “I think the Democrats…have to fight this tooth and nail. They have to use every process opportunity they have to stop this, until next year, when we have a new Senate. We don’t know whether next year’s Senate will be Republican or Democratic-dominated. But to give this to the Republicans when they control the Senate, basically, 51 or 50 to 49, really, with John McCain perhaps not voting again, to give them this last chance to pack the court, 5-4 again, hard conservative, I again — I say this, the base will attack the leadership for this, if they allow it to happen, and they should. Because this is time for vengeance for what happened 2 years ago.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett