Not enough. What Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch said was apparently insufficient. The appellate court judge used the terms "disheartening" and "demoralizing" to express his views on criticisms of the judiciary. According to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, "I think that telling me that he finds these attacks to be demoralizing or disheartening behind closed doors is not enough." The Connecticut Democrat insisted Judge Gorsuch "needs to make that statement publicly and condemn this attack on the independence of the judiciary and show the American people that he will be independent."
But how can one be certain that if Gorsuch went to such lengths, Senate Democrats would at long last be satisfied and vote to confirm him to the High Court? Here are four actions Gorsuch can take that will allay liberal concerns—thus paving the way for sweeping confirmation.
1. Forget about a public condemnation—it may actually take a profanity-ridden tirade to satiate these Democrats.
So picture Joe Pesci in Goodfellas or Casino. Or Rep. Roger Furlong in Veep. Hold nothing back.
2. To win over the likes of Blumenthal, Schumer, and Elizabeth Warren, Judge Gorsuch should stand outside the Supreme Court and burn Trump in effigy.
But this is logistically harder than it sounds. There's always some protester who literally gets inflamed.
3. And yet I can hear Sen. Blumenthal saying: "Yes, it was a good start. But honestly that effigy didn't quite resemble the president." As such, Gorsuch should bang the soles of his shoes against the image of the president.
If you recall, this was an expression of defiance against Saddam Hussein. (At this point, Sen. Warren might start nodding her head in approval.)
4. And finally, for good measure, Gorsuch may have to cross a theological threshold.
In public, before the Senate Judiciary Committee and C-SPAN cameras, Judge Gorsuch needs to trample on the fumie of Donald Trump. As much as it might pain the nominee, it is probably the only true way to satisfy his critics.
And then the Donald in bronze speaks to the judge: "Trample! Trample! I more than anyone know of the pain in your foot. Trample! It was to be trampled on by men that I was born into this world. It was to share men's pain that I carried the Electoral College."
Judge Gorsuch might well be asking himself, "Am I just praying to silence?" He is not. The president will understand that his nominee simply needs to do what is necessary to get through this temporary ordeal. In the end, all will be fine—there is no silence. Unless your Twitter notification is on mute.