When I think about McConnell refusing to let the Senate even consider (1) Obama's nomination for the Supreme Court, (2) dozens of Obama's nominations for district judges and (3) hundreds of bills passed over the past two years by the U.S. House of Representatives, it's impossible to think McConnell is furthering the American system of government.
Nope.
The Constitution says the Senate Majority Leader has that power.
That EXACT power.
Without regard to which party has the majority at any one time.
Your list is about things Democrats wanted at the end of the Obama administration and didn't get, and interpretations of the Constitution that were not accepted by your political opponents.
Republicans can make a similar list and voice the exact same "they aren't furthering America" complaint to things as they occurred under Harry Reid.
In fact, both sides can always say the exact same thing about each period of time when "the other side" had/has the Senate majority. Ad nauseum.
Just because one side doesn't get what they want does NOT mean the American system of government is not being furthered. To the contrary - it is EXACTLY how the American system of government was designed to work.
The election winners run things for a short time and the other side whines and blames. Then the roles are reversed for a while. It was all made worse and more visible by radio, then TV, then cable, and now social media.
When there is CONSENSUS, things happen. Laws are passed and executed and administrered.
When there is NOT CONSENSUS, there is either compromise (or used to be) or nothing gets passed.
It works until one side refuses to accept the results and decides they are so much more moral, and so much more smart, that they DESERVE to run things - regardless of election results. Having multiple levels of representation in the House based on population, and equal representations in the Senate without regard to population, and protections of minorities built into the Constitution and the electoral college, and judicial review of all of it, suddenly becomes inconvenient. THEY are far too important and far too right to be impeded by those things.
Now they begin to think and act on how to TAKE power. Government elective office becomes about telling others what to do instead of serving by making what has been agreed-upon work. (This is why I tell my friends who get elected "you are ONLY a judge" or "you are ONLY a Senator" - make sure they know thier place is BELOW a citizen - they are a servant, not a ruler - a servant, not a king.)
"I want what I want and if I don't get it I will pitch a fit or vandalize or burn your stuff" is not the American system of government either. It is not a system of government at all. At best, it is the child's way of trying to get candy in a store, and needs to be dealt with in the same manner. At its most dangerous, it is a path toward fascism, or Nazism, or pick-an-ism.
EQUAL PROCESS - not EQUAL RESULT - is what assures us all equal opportunity to go do what we what and seek what what we want - high or low. We have the right to sit and sleep in high school, become a dumbass, graduate as a functional illiterate, and live like PWT. But you don't have a right to suddenly decide you too are entitled a Lexus, and will burn the courthouse if anybody objects to you taking one from your neighbor or eepriving him of one he earned - even one YOU think he DID NOT EARN.
You are also not entitled to a corrupt judge who will simply ignore the law and "decide for you" - which is what is at the root of the claim that one party should not use the Senate Judiciary Committee to get or delay judicial appointments. For example, everyone who thought Justice Roberts was just supposed to ignore the Constitution and all precedent and undo Obama Care, or reject gay marriage, were just as wrong as the folks who thought/think they should be allowed to "put my guy" on the bench because he will [do what I want]." Roberts followed the law - not the politics. No one should have been shocked - but the Toxans were. Still are.
The best judges are ones with the character and strength to say "if XYZ is what you want, your remedy is to get the legislature to pass that law or get your fellow citizens to amend the Constitution to say that." The judge who will just make it up and rule they way THEY PERSONALLY think the law SHOULD be - they should be impeached and disbarred. Because if the judges are doing their job, the Senate Judiciary Committee becomes LESS powerful, and nobody gives a shit who runs it, and nobody has enough power to "deserve" grafitti on their house, put there by cowards who ride in the night - just like the Klan did. (Wonder why that is? Maybe if you are really RIGHT you need not fear the LIGHT - so antifa-types and Klan-types both ride at night? Hmmm.)
Anyway - we can vote or we can fight.
I'll vote and accept my wins and losses - as long as I am allowed.
