Before Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s body was even cold, the Republican Senate leadership announced that it would not entertain any nominations from President Obama to fill the Supreme Court position left vacant by Scalia’s death.
Advertisement
Time after time, he led other conservative justices in 5-4 decisions that undermined black voting rights, let billionaires flood money into GOP political campaigns, let almost everyone carry pistols, and the like.
Senate Republicans’ widespread vow to automatically block any Supreme Court nominee President Obama puts forth may be wavering.
“When there is vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone, the Senate is to consider that nomination, and either they disapprove of that nominee or that nominee is elevated to the Supreme Court”, Obama said.
Grassley is essentially saying, “Hey, maybe we will have hearings if you don’t nominate someone entirely objectionable”. The upcoming nomination battle (even if the Republicans refuse to hold hearings or votes on the nominee, there will still be a battle) will make that even more obvious.
“All that means is the lower court decision stands and it means that the lower court decision is only binding on those states that comprise the circuit court”, said Lopez. Never before has a president asked a Supreme Court nominee to walk into a political buzz saw quite like this.
Shortly after the news of Scalia’s death broke over the weekend, McConnell released a statement saying the “vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president”.
President Obama, to conservatives’ chagrin, indicated on Saturday his intention of nominating someone for the high court before leaving office. “It’s been over 80 years since a lame-duck president has appointed a Supreme Court justice”.
“The Supreme Court is not an extension of the White House”. Democrats immediately decried the move and called for a debate and a vote on the president’s pick.
“The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed happen”.
“Ted Cruz is really the one leading this charge that says, ‘We will not consider any Obama nominee, ‘ and not just in the primary”, says Zwillich. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
Advertisement
“Senator Schumer talked about balance and we had balance: four conservatives, four liberals and one moderate and maintaining the balance for the supreme court is just important now it was in 2007”, Grassley says. It has become a rabidly partisan bunch, willing to ignore their own stated commitment to preserving the Constitution – commitment that evaporates when it costs them politically.
