RIP Antonin Scalia

Yes. And let me guess ... since Obama didn't personally put a bullet in Osama Bin Laden, we can't credit him for that either right?

 

I have to think there is a generation of jurists out there who are well respected but have never been considered because their record isn't consistently one way or the other.

 

There have been plenty of centrists on the court in our time.

 

Here's my biggest issue with this whole thing. If I genuinely thought the Republican party respected the results of an election, I might be inclined to let them slide on this appointment but, let's be honest, they don't care.
Look at the Obamacare appeal process. They've tried and failed, what, 63 times to repeal the law? Despite the fact that the President got this signed into law AND affirmed by the Supreme Court. And, despite the fact that it was a major campaign issue in the 2012 Presidential Election and Obama still won.
If they cared at all about what the people voted, they would have long ago dropped efforts to repeal that. They didn't and I doubt, very much, that they would change course in 2017 if they maintained a hold on the Senate and had to contend with a HRC or Sanders appointment to this vacancy.

 

Interesting process story on how the SA Express-News broke the story:

How the San Antonio Express-News broke news of Scalia’s death

 

It's basic fact-checking and networking. Newsgathering by the book.
The strange thing is that it's now greeted with surprise at this juncture.

 

Here's what kills me about the Republicans. Did they really think Obama would listen to them about not nominating anyone and just letting the electoral process play out? Why would he? He has 11 more months to go.

And by whining about him doing his Constitutional duty, it makes them look even worse. All they had to say was that they would respect the process and do their own Constitutional duty in terms of approval or disapproval. That's it. Instead, they kick their heels that the president dares to actually do his job.

 

So uppity. Who does he think he is, president of the United States?

 

I guess my big thing here is if we're going to set the precedent that 11 months out from an inauguration makes you a lame duck president, why stop there? Why not when the campaign for the next election starts? Why not the day after the second half of your term starts? Hell, why have a presidential term at all? Why not just make everything go through Congress?

 

And worse, the number who claim there's never been a nomination made in an election year, which is just not true. But perhaps this bit of revisionist history should be encouraged, so it will be exposed in all its silliness.

 

What I really love about this story is that Obama now has to own his votes on Alito and Roberts. He voted to not confirm simply for political reasons. Now we'll see how much of a fucking hypocrite he is when he rails on people who vote no on his nominee.

 

In other news, another giant butthurt storm is dead ahead.