Romney’s SCOTUS Decision Is Calculated [OPINION]

U.S. Senator Williard Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is a "Never Trump-er," period. Romney hates President Donald J. Trump and would not intentionally do anything to help the 45th president to succeed. Remember, "Mittens" was the sole Republican in the U.S. Senate to vote to remove Trump from office in February following the trumped-up impeachment trial in the House of Representatives.

You may like Mitt Romney, and that's your right. I believe Romney to be a sniveling coward who regrets his decision not to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 after being defeated by Barack Obama without much of a fight in 2012. Romney considered entering the 2016 race late but was vastly overshadowed by Trump. He blames Trump for his own timidity.

Romney announced this week that he supports the plan to immediately fill the vacancy on the United States Supreme Court created by the death last week of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I would not have been shocked if Romney had joined the Democrats in calling for a pause until after the November elections.

By doing so, Romney would have helped to thwart Trump's effort to build a majority on the high court. It would have been a typical Romney move.

Romney's decision to proceed with the process does not surprise me, either. While he can be dumb sometimes, Romney is not stupid. I admit, Pierre Delecto was not the work of a genius. Romney may not like Trump, but he understands the importance of Trump nominating another conservative to the Supreme Court before potentially leaving office in January. The impact of this court pick will be felt for years to come.

Romney may also be considering another run for the presidency in 2024. Filling Ginsburg's seat now could make Romney's life easier later should he decide to give it a go in four years.

Romney does little that does not consider his self-interest. His decision to move forward with filling this Supreme Court seat is not about helping Trump as much as it is about creating an opportunity that just could benefit himself down the road. But damn, it is also the right thing to do.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.