There’s no mechanism compelling the Senate to vote on any executive branch nominees. So when they simply refuse to have a hearing on Obama’s selection, Obama will make regular impassioned speeches about it, and you’ll hear various people handwringing about it. I suspect that the Democrats in the Senate will withhold their consent for everything that needs their consent, dragging business in the Senate to a crawl, but that no one who doesn’t follow politics obsessively will notice or care. This will continue until after the next President is seated - and I predict that if the Republicans hold the Senate and we have a Democratic President, they’ll continue to refuse consider anyone whatsoever for at least another two years after that.
What threats can anyone hold over Senate Republicans? Personally I think it’s a disgraceful spectacle, but I’m not their target audience, and they’re 100% right that their primary voters will crucify them for putting Obama’s appointee on the bench. You hear grousing about the failure to filibuster Sotomayor and Kagan, and that was when Democrats held the chamber. The only way that this will change is if they were more likely to lose a general election for failing to approve the nominee than to lose a primary for approving the nominee, and that would probably take a few cycles to sort out.
Things might change after the GOP presidential nominee is selected. During the primary, though, none of the contenders is going to risk look like he’s helping Obama. At any rate, during the primaries… not a chance.
Exactly, right now all the Republican nominees are in thrall to the slobbering morons that constitute a large part of the Republican primary voters. Now is the time to really pour it on them, to force them so far to the right that come the general election they’ll have to just about reverse their previous positions to appeal to the indies.
It’s true of the centrists. The progressives, not so much. We’re all about putting bankers in jail when they steal, helping the middle class (and the lower class, but don’t tell anybody … they’re pretty much the same from the veiwpoint of the Washington elite) to thrive and succeed. Y’know, people like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
I think some people said Obama’s daughters looked disinterested and bored and resentful for having to attend the ceremony. Hell, I say this about my own child at events we attend.
Yeah, I don’t know how he could say this with a straight face. As if the American people didn’t already have their say on who should be selecting SCOTUS justices right now.
Obama can “nominate” anyone for SCOTUS. A nomination doesn’t mean his nomination will be confirmed. As the current, lame duck President, that’s still his job. I’m sure there are many suggestions for the job coming his way.
We the People also elected a room full of U.S. Senators. And we expect those duly elected Senators to respond to the needs of their constituents. Some Senators may put the needs of their particular political party over the needs and wants of their constituents but those Senators may soon be looking for honest work if they chose to piss off the voters.
The President has the right to nominate who he pleases. The Senate has the right to delay, deny or approve the nominee to SCOTUS. After all that is done the voters have the right to vote in or out who they please based upon whatever outcome there is.
Actually the Constitution is working as intended, and very well. IMHO
