THIS WOULD MATTER IF IT WEREN’T FOR “THE REID OPTION:” Democrats stack up ways to torpedo Trump’s nominations.

Undeterred by its failed effort to stonewall Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, the Democratic leadership is going on a full-court press to resist President Trump’s nominations for judgeships and FBI director in the Senate. However, if they commit, the party risks losing the moral high ground it hung over the Republican Party’s head when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to schedule confirmation hearings for former President Barack Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland.

In the clearest symbol yet of the Democrats’ coming intransigence was Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday that he “would support” fellow Democratic Sen. Mark Warner’s push to hold the not-yet-announced FBI director nominee hostage if the Trump administration doesn’t agree to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

There are currently 54 Republicans in the Senate, 44 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats. If Republicans unite behind a Trump pick to head the FBI, Democrats will have no way to block consideration of the nominee because in 2013 the then-Democratic-led Senate went through with the “nuclear option” on executive branch nominees. This altered the rules to require only a simple majority of 51 senators, instead of 60, to overcome a filibuster.

Acknowledging that his party doesn’t have the votes to actually block the FBI nomination, Schumer pressed Republicans to choose country over party.

Hint to the Senate GOP: You never “choose country” by going along with a Schumer scheme.