You can't worry about what the republicans will do, because they will always do their worst, this is now beyond the normal political games and has been since Mitch cheated Garland out of his seat. Don't be afraid to punch the asshole in the face because you are afraid of getting hit back! Don't be afraid of Vlad using nukes either, give the Ukrainians what they need, fear paralyzes. Don't be afraid to use the law against Thomas either and don't be afraid to prosecute his ass whether he resigns, retires or say on the court as a convicted criminal, let Roberts deal with it then or say he is above the law.
Pack the court if there is a big enough problem, otherwise leave it alone except for accountability under the law and under the same rules as any other politician or public servant. Thomas doesn't even know right from wrong FFS and is unfit.
you mistake not wanting to waste time on useless gestures for fear...
I have no fear of taking full blown war to the republicans, if that is what the situation devolves into, but it is lightyears from that eventuality yet.
I have never feared putin's nukes, as I'm sure many of the posts that caused me to get mansplained to about the consequences of nuclear war can verify...I have advocated taking the war to the russians since it became clear that the Ukrainians have a MUCH better than average chance to kick them to the curb.
I have no fear of using the law to hobble thomas, but I realize that all we can do is temporarily inconvenience him...he can be tried, and convicted, but he CANNOT be forced to give up his seat on the bench, and the republican base will make him a martyr, so that when he returns to the bench, he will be even more brazen..
Theatrics are theatrics, a thin facade to cover rot, and they do nothing to fix the rot, they even draw attention away from it in some cases.