The deep political (and cultural) divide in America was explained last week when New York Sen. Charles Schumer, minority leader, threatened recently-seated Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Speaking in front of a “pro choice” rally Wednesday on the steps of the Supreme Court, Schumer, said:

“I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh,” Schumer said, according to video of his remarks. “You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

While Schumer’s threats might be considered senseless jaw-boning in an attempt to influence the justices’ decision of an abortion case now in front of the Supreme Court, they were serious enough to cause Chief Justice John Roberts to call Schumer’s comments “dangerous”making him only the ninth senator in history to face that punishment

There is no financial penalty for censure but it does demean the reputation of the censured member.

However, one punishment for censure would be severe. If two-thirds of the Senate should vote for it, the punishment would be expulsion. That’s not likely to happen with Republicans holding only a slight majority in the senate.

It might be to Democrats’ and Republicans’ benefit if the Senate did vote for expulsion.

Washington residents have bemusedly observed to this writer that the most dangerous place in Washington is to get between Schumer and a microphone.

A reasonable question might be why would Schumer thow such a petulant, childish fit - other than to be noticed?

The answer might well be that the American left has become used to having the courts accomplish the goals that it can’t gain legislatively.

The deep state leftists, of whom Schumer is surely one, ignore the fact that the Supreme Court is designed to be an apolitical body, issuing opinions based on the Constitution and laws enacted by Congress.

Called to account for his intemperate outburst, Schumer did not apologize Thursday in remarks on the Senate floor, but said he should have used different words.

The Daily Signal newsman Fred Lucas noted that Schumer, himself, has called for more temperate public expressions in the past.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a measure in the Senate that 14 other Republicans so far have co-sponsored.

In the House, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., introduced a similar resolution of censure.

Hawley’s censure resolution in the Senate states, in part:

Senator Schumer has acknowledged that threatening statements can increase the dangers of violence against government officials when he stated on June 15, 2017, following the attempted murder of several elected Members of Congress, ‘We would all be wise to reflect on the importance of civility in our [Motion’s politics’ and that ‘the level of nastiness, vitriol, and hate that has seeped into our politics must be excised!

Republican senators who signed on to the Hawley resolution include Steve Daines of Montana, Mike Braun of Indiana, Rick Scott of Florida, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, David Perdue of Georgia, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, and Martha McSally of Arizona.

Leftwing outfits, as expected, came out in support of Schumer, citing his support of government healthcare initiatives and the protection of abortion advocates.

Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe, a liberal, wrote on Twitter, calling Schumer’s comments to Gorsuch and Kavanaugh “inexcusable.”

The left-leaning American Bar Association criticized Schumer.

Among rare defenders was Daniel Goldberg, president of the left-wing legal group Alliance for Justice, who criticized Roberts instead.

“It’s unfortunate that Chief Justice Roberts’ attempt to defend the integrity of the Supreme Court instead highlighted his own partisan biases,” Goldberg said.

Schumer should know better and likely does know better, Elizabeth Slattery, a legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News.

“Sen. Hawley is right that censure would be appropriate,” Slattery said Thursday. “Sen. Schumer took to the Senate floor earlier today. He said he was offering an apology. In my view, he seemed to be saying, ‘Sorry, but I’m not sorry.”’

A successful censure of Schumer seems an ideal ending point on his disgusting virulent “service.”