Scalia Dead: Republicans Say No Way Obama Can Appoint Successor
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(NEWSER) – The unexpected death of Antonin Scalia in the midst of an election year already has people calling on the Senate to hold off confirming any nominee that President Obama might put forward. Ted Cruz was one of the first: “We owe it to him, & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement,” tweeted the man who hopes to be that next president.
More crucially, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agrees, saying the vacancy should remain open until then, reports Reuters. And a spokesman for Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who sits on the judiciary panel, sent out a quick tweet saying that any Obama nominee would face “less than zero” chances of making it through the panel, reports the Hill.
There was no immediate word from the White House on the nomination plans of the president, but Politico predicts he would face “fierce—if not insurmountable pressure”—to any nominee.
USA Today agrees that winning confirmation “would be difficult, if not impossible.” The stakes are huge, of course, given that the replacement of the justice who is perhaps the court’s strongest conservative voice with a more liberal-leaning one would tilt the 5-4 balance back to the left.
“It’s been more than 80 years since a Supreme Court justice was confirmed in an election year to a vacancy that arose that year, and there has never been an election-year confirmation that would so dramatically alter the ideological composition of the court,” says Ed Whelan, who served as a law clerk under Scalia and is now a top conservative when it comes to legal matters.
“Let the people decide in November who will select the next justice.” The longest delay in a Supreme Court justice’s confirmation is 125 days, and Obama has 361 left in office, notes ThinkProgress.
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Boy, two great comments here. I did not get out my mourning cloth though, but I try not to cheer too much when anyone dies.
I’m having an extra eclair tonight, before I head out to see Deadpool Bill, that is my celebration right there and no I am not sorry about that at all. There were so many things I could choose from that odious little dead toad’s SCOTUS tenure to talk about, instead I went with my big ones. Maybe I’ll expand tomorrow after I see my dream man, Wade Wilson breaking the fourth wall tonight 🙂
Fuck Scalia. He’s been on my shortlist as people I will have zero fucks to give, saying what I really feel, when he dies for stinking up the planet with his bullshit. Because of him, Commander cuckoo bananas became POTUS because it would have been unfair to keep counting ballots, corporations are people and for a long time my LGBT family were not, black people are less than according to him and women even less than that. The only thing I am glad of is he lived long enough to see marriage equality but given that he was able to die of natural causes when he gave the go ahead on sketchy executions, NOPE… not holding my utter hate in for the man at all and I don’t care who thinks I am being an asshole. Yeah POTUS is gonna just let you guys do that when Yertle the turtle said way back in 2005 that the current president is the one that nominates SCOTUS judges. Same people that when Thurgood Marshall died, put Clarence Thomas in his place. The only good thing I see about Scalia is one of two things, Thomas is now actually going to have to think and work for a living and not depend on Scalia’s voice anymore and two, you always hear about old couples dying within hours of each other, the rule of three might be useful here. They can all go get fucked and I don’t care whose sensibilities I am offending right here, srsly, I don’t.
Agreed 100%. An evil man and America is better off without him. As to Thomas, I don’t think he is capable of “thinking” on his own. He is a despicable piece of shit in his own right and stupid on top of it, which makes him even more dangerous.
He’s also on my list of no holds barred when he dies. Some day I will show you all how I am trying to come out of my shell 🙂
Whether one agreed with Justice Scalia or not, decorum would demand a period of mourning for the man. And an expression of condolence to his family.
What a shame that politicians, led by Rafael Edwardo Cruz, quickly followed by his fellow republican candidates and Congressional leadership, disgraced the moment by using it to further disparage the sitting President and create a political ultimatum.
How embarrassing.
Of course, Cruz also took advantage of the day of Bo Biden’s death to make jokes about Vice President Biden too, so I guess we should not be surprised. Disgusting.
Sorry Stacey. Scalia was a despicable human being who doesn’t deserve my sympathy. He was anti-women, anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-Citizens United, pro-Hobby Lobby, and the beat goes on. He was just an awful, awful man who damaged America during his time as a jurist. I do, however, send my condolences to his family. They aren’t responsible for their awful father any more than Cruz’s daughter is responsible for her equally disgusting father.
You, sir Mike, are a far better person than I am entirely. I’ve got zero sympathy for his family also, when he sat on a court and let other families see their loved ones executed, the LGBT community families be scarred and bloodied because of his shit and yet other families of young black men who were told, don’t aspire to (insert fancy college) try going for lower ones it will suit you better. Nope zero sympathies and out of fucks to give for them.
I understand completely Jess 🙂