🇺🇸 DEMS WANTED A SHOWDOWN OVER ONE OF TRUMP'S NOMINEES ...GOP GAVE THEM 97 CONFIRMATIONS INSTEAD Senate Democrats' Hail Mary to stall 88 Trump nominees blew up in their faces when Sen. Michael Bennet objected to the batch over Sara Bailey's inclusion as drug czar. A cabinet-level gig triggering the 60-vote filibuster wall. Republicans, fresh off their September "nuclear option" slashing thresholds for sub-cabinet roles, seized the fumble: Now teeing up a supersized 97-nominee package for next week, blasting Dems as vengeful sore losers. Majority Leader John Thune crowed: "Democrats and their base still can't deal with the fact that President Trump won last November. We've just continued plowing ahead, racking up a historic number of votes this year." This procedural own-goal turbocharges Trump's admin buildup, pushing confirmations past 400 (eclipsing Biden's 350 at this point). This locks in loyalists for borders, energy, and intel amid Dem filibuster fury. It's the latest GOP rule tweak eroding minority power. With unified control, it fast-tracks "America First" without blue-state brakes. For Dems, it's a self-inflicted wound spotlighting obstruction as payback, risking midterm backlash while GOP relishes the "victory lap." Senate floor's a battlefield, next week's blitz could seal Trump's machine before holidays hit. Source: Fox News, Politico, @LeaderJohnThune