Democratic group pounds on Roy Blunt to fill vacant court seat

A new poll appears to show that Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley’s role in blocking Merrick Garland’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court is hurting him.

Grassley, who faces re-election this fall, is still expected to win.

But Democrats, and Democratic-leaning groups, sense they have a winning issue on the court nomination.

That brings us to Tuesday morning’s protest in downtown Kansas City where the Democratic group Americans United for Change staged a rally in front of Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt’s offices. The group is pushing a simple message outlined in a media statement:

“Do Your Job and Fill the Vacant Seat on the Supreme Court, or Someone Else Will Fill Yours.”

The group, scheduled to stage a similar rally outside the state Capitol Wednesday, has dubbed its statewide spin the “9-9-9 Tour,” meaning it’s traveling to nine states in nine days in a bid for nine Supreme Court justices.

Blunt has declined to meet with Garland, unlike some of his GOP colleagues. He has said the Senate should not confirm any nominee before President Barack Obama’s term ends in January.

A Republican, Blunt is expected to face Democrat Jason Kander in November.

In Kansas City, Kansas City Councilman Jermaine Reed joined the protestors.