Americans say by 2-to-1 that Senate should hold hearings on Obama’s Supreme Court nominee

[NHprogressive]

Source: Washington Post

The Supreme Court confirmation battle has become intensely partisan, so the numbers break down somewhat along partisan lines. But it's notable that by a margin of nearly 2-to-1, independents side with Democrats on this. Among independents, 62 percent say the Senate should hold hearings, while 32 percent say the Senate should not. And even Republicans are pretty evenly split.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/10/americans-say-2-to-1-that-senate-should-hold-hearings-on-obamas-supreme-court-nominee/?postshare=6981457700941229&tid=ss_tw

---

Let's get to it. That vacancy needs to be filled speedily. Let the republicans own their obstructionist crap, oppose a functional Supreme Court, and eat the consequences.

[dchill]

1. In a democracy, that's what would happen.

[rhett o rick]

2. Has the President picked a nominee? nm

[NHprogressive]

3. I am looking forward to his nominee,

and glad that the people are behind the nomination process going ahead.

[rhett o rick]

6. The discussion is moot if he doesn't choose a nominee. nm

[NHprogressive]

7. You're obviously right, but I'm not sure I'm catching your meaning:

are you saying that you don't think he should nominate someone?

I hope that he does, as it would force to the republicans to look like the idiots they would be if they were to keep the court empty for an unprecedented length of time, especially given the margins of support indicated in the article.

[rhett o rick]

9. Quite the contrary, I think he should nominate someone soon. The longer he waits the

shorter time for them to stall.

[NHprogressive]

19. Ah. Got it.

Strongly agree

[mountain grammy]

4. Yes, he needs to do that, pronto!

Just throwing out names isn't helping the cause, but why would anyone want to face that pack of hyenas, and I do apologize to hyenas everywhere.

[sofa king]

12. Oh, he shall. He SHALL!

Don't think for a moment that the former senior lecturer on Constitutional law has failed to notice that the Constitution (Article II, Section 2) does not give him a choice in the matter:

... and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court...

The Senate is free to obstruct by not consenting to the nominee, but the President is not given any leeway in the matter. He SHALL nominate someone, and "shall" is not a discretionary word.

However, there is no time limit, so it may be to the President's advantage to let the Republicans play out enough rope over the matter that it hangs 'em in November. Then he can present his nominee to the new (hopefully Democratically-controlled) Senate in January.

This sort of move, using his opponents' vile behavior to win advantages for himself, is President Obama's trademark move, and I expect him to do it, or something more clever than I can envision.

[rhett o rick]

13. I heard he is considering a Hispanic Female Republican and will reveal just before the election. nm

[sofa king]

16. It's possible.

It's possible that the President plans to nominate one or more "red herring" candidates sooner than that, too. Nominating a Republican would be a classic Hobson's choice for the GOP and guaranteed to harm them no matter what they do.

If they refuse to hold hearings on the Republican nominee, Republican voters are disgusted and may stay home on election day, or jump the fence.

If they do hold hearings and, God forbid, the nominee is favorably recommended to the Senate, some hayseed who isn't up for reelection for five years is guaranteed to filibuster it and keep even more voters at home.

That's a dangerous game, though, because if they pull it together and approve the nominee we get screwed. But really, when is the last time 50-plus Republicans demonstrated competence of any sort? I'd bet every penny I don't have on them f^%$ing it up.

[turbinetree]

5. Dysfunction Junction.........................................

and the right wing senators that have speaking out of both sides of there partisans mouth are going to lose there seats (6 0f them this coming November) .

You, Grassely have been a six term hypocrite, yes, six term (36 year and just think of the tenure benefits that we the taxpayers are going to be footing , if and when you retire) right wing by the name of Crassly should be voted out of office, six terms what has he really done, and what has he doing exactly what in selling his state to the chinese, and the water pollution from farming needs, to be asked on his leadership abilities, some rivers have so much agriculture pollution that the water is undrinkable

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/pacs.php?cycle=2016&cid=N00001758&type=I

Just think and sit back Grassley, because for your enjoyment let's watch and listen to what you are doing to get paid a lot of money for to represent the Constitution and not doing anything because you are so worried that a court that has been rigged for over thirty-five years spewing out a right wing agenda and propaganda may finally be coming to a close-----------------------and YES, the American Public wants change-------------a big one


So in closing, enjoy this great piece of how you and your cronies show's how you are really a failure when it comes to upholding and doing your job, and for thirty-six years this is what you have been doing, while hiding in the weeds of partisanship rhetoric-----------------which you swore you were to do and defend the Constitution................while ripping off the taxpayers everyday.......................





https://t.freespeech.org/video/elizabeth-warren-gop-senate-want-stop-extremism-do-your-job-confirm-scotus-nominee

Honk------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[Gothmog]

8. The GOP senate needs to do their job

[sofa king]

11. I say let 'em be dicks, and destroy them for it.

There is a 17 day overlap in January, 2017 between President Obama's term and the new 115th Congress. So let the GOP do what they do best and be dicks, kick 'em the hell out, win the Senate back, touch off the nuclear option for Supreme Court nominees, and approve President Obama's nomination in January, 2017.

In the meantime, we get to F the conservatives in the A all year, because they deliberately granted cert to a giant raft of shitty cases that Scalia was going to use to legislate from the bench. Now, ties in the Supreme Court default to the winner in the Court of Appeals, but does not set a precedent, so we get to kill the conservative position now AND THEN kill them forever with Obama's and Sanders'/Clinton's nominees.

They obstruct, we nullify the right wing judicial agenda, they give us the Senate, we get our nominee, then nail the coffin shut on Ronald Reagan's evil legacy forever. And all we have to do is let them be their racist idiot selves for another nine months.

[CTyankee]

14. Absolutely. Obama gets his pick and the Senate can't sit on their hands and wait it out.

Since the people are with Obama and the rest of the Dems on this they will either applaud it or quietly agree. When the huzzah is over and done we Dems come out just fine. I'm sure Obama will pick an eminently qualified person for the Court.

Let 'em be assholes. They'll deserve the scorn they'll get...

[sofa king]

21. I think nominees can be resubmitted, too.

I'm not 100% on that, but I'm pretty sure that when the reset button is pushed in January, 2017, any nominee who was rejected or otherwise not approved can be resubmitted.

It permits the President to play an extremely not-lame duck role in this election. The President can pick an extremely qualified candidate, let the Republicans refuse to hold hearings, mention the refusal at every press conference, and begin to make a couple dozen Senatorial elections turn on the idea that no matter who's running for President, it's also a mandate for President Obama's Supreme Court nominee.

So, to pick a hypothetical example which is totally not going to happen because we are all adults, if one of the Democratic candidates somehow doesn't get the nomination and the other candidate is unpalateable to a particular voter and that voter unwisely decides not to participate in the Presidential election, that voter may still have an interest in unseating his or her Senator, see?

And that puts that hypothetical person in the booth, and unless that hypothetical person is insane, that person will think really damned hard about voting against Donald Trump.... And that person can tell all of DU that he or she was only there to cut the rope on that person's Senator. And nobody will ever know! Hypothetically, that is.

I just know someone is going to take it personally, but I swear I'm not trying to single any one of you out in the hypothetical example above. Oh no, I am singling all of you out, hahahaha!

[NHprogressive]

20. Amen. n/t

[maxsolomon]

15. but the Republican Senate does not represent 2/3 of Americans

the populations of the states that put the GOP in power in the Senate are probably 1/3 of America.

so, essentially, they don't care what we think about it. if they can't block this nominee until Cruz is installed, this is the end of the Conservative SCOTUS, and they know it.

[Dont call me Shirley]

17. A big HELL YEAH! Reagan did it.

[FreedomRain]

18. I want hom to nominate Sandra Day O'Connor

and since she has already been confirmed...

[davidpdx]

22. GIVE'EM HELL PRESIDENT OBAMA!

[PoliticAverse]

23. So what will the political-cost be to the Republicans? n/t

[LiberalElite]

24. As if what we think matters in this system nt

[Umbral18]

25. US Senators are required to take the Oath of Office, I don't understand why they get a pass. n/t

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

26. They swear to uphold the Constitution, then ignore it and say they're following it, clear?

[Mr. Brutus]

27. Not worried in the least

Let them sink their own ship.

[Cosmic Dancer]

28. Come on, do you really think they care what the American people want ! Get real !

[unflapped]

29. Clearly the R's believe they're on the verge of oblivion

The pattern is clear here and it is resulting in the death of the Republican Party.

The day Scalia died McConnell acted fast to announce his strategy. Sen. Grassley, whose judiciary committee would hold the Supreme Court hearings, initially said he'd wait to see what happens with Obama's pick and seemed open to holding hearings. That tune changed one day later. It would seem that McConnell got to him as soon as he opened his mouth, and suddenly Grassley was all about not holding hearings.

Then Gov. Sandoval's name was floated as a possible nominee, and he was quoted as seeming open to it and honored, although noncommittal. Within 24 hours he pulled his name from consideration. Again, what changed? I'll tell you what changed, McConnell got to him!

McConnell has a theory: if he lets the Democrats do what they want to do - EVER - then they'll improve this country so much for so many that Republicans will never win another election. Better to risk looking obstructionist than to lose the war for the next generation, he figures.

But why? Why does McConnell care so much? Is it because he cares about the issues? Is it because he cares about humanity? No. It's simple: he is competitive and doesn't like to lose. Period. End of story.

As Obama said the other day, this is bad for everyone. America needs a strong, rational Republican Party. Two parties isn't enough. Now there's really only one. That's a huge risk for democracy, even if the one surviving party is the better of the two.

[kairos12]

30. Above all else Rethugs fear Primary Challenges, they will never hold a hearing.

[Vinca]

31. Republicans don't care what Americans think and they're controlling it.

[valerief]

32. Americans, phffft. Who cares what they want? When they can buy elections, the assholes

in office will listen.



Of course, we pesky Americans are trying our damnedest now to buy Bernie a seat in the White House!!!!

[red dog 1]

33. Sign Elizabeth Warren's Petition: Senate Republicans Do Your Job & Vote on Supreme Court Nominee

Sign Elizabeth Warren's petition:
"Senate Republicans Do Your Job:and Vote on President Obama's Supreme Court Nominee"
http://act.democracyforamerica.com/sign/warrensupremecourt

[NCjack]

34. Looking good that Pres. Sanders will be leading the charge to fill the vacancy. /nt

[spooky3]

35. So, one in three don't understand the Constitution, I guess.