Sigh. The U.S. Senators were also elected and they were elected to represent their constituents, not to kowtow to the President.
The President gets to nominate a Supreme. A President does not control the U.S. Senate. The President represents only one branch of the federal government. The duly elected Senators are not required to consent to confirm a nominee simply because the President (or the internet) says they must.
I can’t even call the present situation a standoff. There is no nominee. It looks like Hairy Reed may have suggested a nominee but he isn’t the President. Who knows what game Reed is playing? Maybe he’s just trying to start shit and screw with the media?
Several nominees to the Supreme Court have been withdrawn by the President. Started with Washington. No reason to think Obama couldn’t withdraw a name after he makes a nomination.
LBJ pushing through civil rights knowing that it would be politically damaging was government not politics. Just because the current crop of Republican leaders are scum and worse doesn’t mean that everyone is.
Some people think the Constitution trumps their party. (Pun intended.) McConnell obviously does not.
The currently seated asshats have an obligation to do their damn jobs. That means giving fair consideration to the nominee, holding the hearings and giving the nominee an up or down vote on the record. They should not be allowed to stamp their feet and hold their breath like petulant children because they don’t like POTUS.
McConnell & Co. are refusing to meet with anyone because, while this is likely a losing issue for them with the general population, months and months of coverage on hearings and votes will only make it worse for them to say no (and they really want a Republican president to fill it so they will not say yes). Blanket refusal now sounds bad but the guess is that, 200 days from now, “Senate still says no” will be the new normal and more of a non-story than actual news about a nominee.
Our U.S. Senators are doing their damn jobs. You object to the way they are doing it. Other constituents may approve of the way their U.S. Senators are representing their interests in the Senate.
Democrats telling Democrats how conservatives and Republicans must act isn’t going to convince many (any?) conservatives and Republicans to unelect their favorite U.S. Senators.
They are withholding their advice and consent, or whatever the constitution says. So, they are not doing their jobs, assuming they follow through with their threats. They could hold hearings and reject every nominee, but not even interviewing the nominee and not holding hearings is dereliction of duties. You can’t advise and consent with your eyes and ears closed.
Wow. Obama really has a chance to pull these clowns around by the nose and have some fun for the rest of his term. There is still another recess in the summer too. He could make a recess appointment. The world is just a big open oyster. There will never be a better chance for them to play ball but they just can’t do it.
And the court is better off by magnitudes with only 8 on it and NO SCALIA! It’s win win win.
An African American, preferably a woman, with mainstream center-left positions and impeccable credentials, would be ideal. A Republican officeholder? No way. :smack:
There’s no point in misdirecting. Just as the President can float Sandoval and then change his mind, the Republicans can say anything they want and change their minds too. They can keep on saying they won’t confirm anyone right up until he’s named, and then when he is, confirm him and declare victory.
I don’t think they’re going to be able to spin that as a victory. But I agree that confirming Obama’s nominee as quickly as possible is their best course to minimize the election impact.
Maybe it is, especially relative to anything else that’s likely to happen, but it won’t look that way, after their posturing about how they must take a stand against Obama!!