DEMS GIRD FOR SUPREME COURT BATTLE: A central question is whether Senate Democrats, under pressure from the party’s base, will try to block Judge Gorsuch.

It likely will take days before the intensity of the Democratic opposition becomes apparent. A number of Democratic senators quickly said they opposed the nomination, including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jeff Merkley of Oregon. Mr. Merkley announced his stance even before Mr. Trump disclosed the selection.

But other Democrats were more restrained. “I still believe we must evaluate Judge Gorsuch’s record, legal qualifications and judicial philosophy,” said Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a centrist Democrat hailing from a state won by Mr. Trump last year. “I urge my colleagues to put partisan politics aside and allow the vetting process to proceed.”

Warren and Merkley are both from deep blue states, and although Brown is from Ohio, he isn’t up for reelection until 2020. Manchin seems the most reasonable — and he ought to be, coming from a state Donald Trump won by a whopping 42 points.

Claire McCaskill, another Red State/Blue Senator, tweeted that she favors “a full confirmation process” hours before Gorsuch’s name was revealed.

Mitch McConnell will presumably keep the Nuclear Option in his back pocket. It would make a potent threat: Vote honestly on Gorsuch, or pave the way for a majority vote on Trump’s next SCOTUS nominee, who might be even more conservative.

That’s roughly equivalent to the game former President Obama played by nominating Merrick Garland last year. Obama dared the GOP to consent to someone somewhat conservative, but hostile to the 2nd Amendment — or risk an even worse selection made by President Hillary Clinton.

CORRECTION: Brown is up for reelection in 2018, not 2020. Of course I regret the error, and will try in the future to refrain from doing simple addition before a second cup of coffee.