Democrats wary of appearing to push Justice Breyer out despite their small window to replace him

Senior Democrats are treading carefully around Justice Stephen Breyer these days, worried that a progressive push to get him to retire could either anger him or come off as overtly political -- in either case potentially dashing their hopes of getting a young new liberal on the Supreme Court in his place.

The clock is ticking for the party, because the Senate could fall into Republican hands during the midterm elections next year -- or, actually, at any moment. Two members of the Democratic majority are near or just over 80 years old, and they hail from a state where a Republican governor would name their replacement if they weren't able to serve. RELATED: How Amy Coney Barrett has changed the Supreme Court in ways Kavanaugh hasn't