Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., made it clear that his motivations for allowing President Donald Trump to pick a Supreme Court replacement are about power, not fairness, writes NBC News’ Jonathan Allen. 

When Barack Obama was in office, McConnell said the Senate shouldn't vote on a justice in an election year. Now he says that dictum doesn't apply. The hypocritical strategy requires him to place bets on whether Trump's campaign is best served by the heightened intensity of a looming confirmation vote — and he'll take the blame if it fails.