My opinion on filling Supreme Court vacancies close to an election

[bongsaway]

Old Democrats are still holding on to the delusion of the existence of reasonable Republicans. They don't exist anymore for the simple reason that it has to be war. The Republicans are fighting for their lives, politically and culturally and they aren't going to just lay down and die. I kind of hope they do push a nominee through, no sense in keeping up the pretense and further.

If the dems take the senate and win the election, I hope they up the court to ninety nine. Republicans want to screw around, so will we.

Trump and McConnell are destroying everything america has stood for all these years. Their base only believes things that come out of the pathological liar's mouth we have as a president. FBI, bad, the courts that rule against trump, bad, the deep state out to get trump, bad, all the trump haters, bad, the press, very very bad, they lying leftist media, bad and finally don't believe what you see or read, only believe what I say...and they do. Sad.

 

[Mycroft]

So that's how you rationalize your opinions. Speak for your party please, not mine.

I do speak for my party...it has one member...me.

 

[redbeer]

I accept the results just fine, I'm just pointing out the majority of Americans are against you. The electoral college is barely keeping you politically relevant and I'm actually happy to let the Republicans take short term political victories in order weaken whatever power moderate democrats still wield. The truth is its the Bidens of the Democratic party who still have any respect left for your lot and if you piss on his shoes on the way out he'll have no choice but to go against his every instinct and retaliate.

Lol, Joe Biden is right up there with Bill and Hillary Clinton.....the biggest corrupt politicians in the history of this country. Obama, his VP and Secretary of State.....the three stooges of corruption.

 

[redbeer]

yes, the senate confirms or denies by going on record with a vote. Which they refused to even do. Instead, they decided to invent a stupid rule in an attempt to justify their cowardice. I'll let them remind you of their principled and moral objections to supreme court nominations in an election year. Emphasis added for the reading challenged.

• "This critical decision should be made after the upcoming presidential election so that the American people have a voice." - Richard Shelby
• "The decision to withhold advancement of Mr. Garland’s nomination isn’t about the individual, it’s about the principle. Alaskans, like all Americans, are in the midst of an important national election. The next Supreme Court justice could fundamentally change the direction of the Court for years to come. Alaskans deserve to have a voice in that direction through their vote, and we will ensure that they have one." - Dan Sullivan
• "I don’t think we should be moving forward on a nominee in the last year of this president’s term. I would say that if this was a Republican president." - Marco Rubio
• "A lifetime appointment that could dramatically impact individual freedoms and change the direction of the court for at least a generation is too important to get bogged down in politics. The American people shouldn’t be denied a voice." - Chuck Grassley.
• "Rarely does a Supreme Court vacancy occur in the final year of a presidential term … Given that we are in the midst of the presidential election process, we believe that the American people should seize the opportunity to weigh in." - Mitch McConnel
• "If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say, ‘Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination." - Lindsey Graham
• "If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump’s term, and the primary process has started, we’ll wait until the next election. " - Lindsey Graham

Here's the full list: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politi...g-a-supreme-court-vacancy-in-an-election-year

The above represents the grossest hypocrisy I have ever seen. To be clear, I agree with the OP in that there is no need to wait for an election to confirm a new justice. Yet republicans felt the need to endlessly moralize about giving the American people a voice back in 2016. If the democrats had the same opportunity as the Republicans currently, they wouldn't wait and I wouldn't expect them to. The difference is that they didn't make up a STUPID ****ING PRINCIPLE, and then immediately abandoned it when it became politically inconvenient.

The only problem is.....back then it was a democrat President and a majority republican Senate....that is NOT the case today. Total different scenerio, but the libs and their talking points, lol.....like the rest of us cannot see what you are doing......come on man!

 

[redbeer]

So you believe the Constitution made that distinction? That is not true. Making stuff up that suits your agenda is not politics it is treason. This appointment will irreparably damage the confidence the people have in the court.

False to the core......the President nominates and the Senate confirms or denies.....that's it, like it or lump it.....you can't change the rules because you are a liberal, leftist, democrat, socialist, prorgressive, or whatever you all call yourselves.

 

[redbeer]

Didn't you just say elections have consequences? Well the GOP lost the house and it is no more an abuse of the constitution for Dems to use their powers for partisan gain than the President or the Senate do when they won theirs. Pick a story and stick to it.

What a total waste of time replying to this idiocy.....the founding fathers warned of this situation, and the left knows it, you know it....but you don't give a damn. Go on, impeach every other week for all I care.....but the facts are the republican controlled Senate will not convict.....so, go on, make a fool of yourself, again and again and again.

 

[Kerry Won Ohio]

You're creating a false choice between fighting their getting another court nomination - which you bizarrely claim is harm already done - and voting Republicans out.

It's not either-or. It's both. You don't care, you say, if Republicans steal another seat. I do. And that doesn't prevent anything else, like voting them out.

I'm not creating a false choice. You stated that the Democrats are preventing more harm by stopping McConnell from stealing another seat. No, they are not. The only thing that will prevent more harm is if Trump loses the election and the Republicans don't control the Senate.

If that doesn't occur, then the only thing you've accomplished by "stopping" another Supreme Court confirmation this year is a pyrrhic victory. Trump and the Republicans will do whatever the hell they want next year if they steal this election.

 

[redbeer]

Utterly corrupt and criminal vile pig-bastard presidents are far worse. But in Trumpism, the ugliness is the point. So you celebrate it, right along with celebrating Trump's behavior in lying about COVID and getting nearly 200,000 people killed.

Lol, what a joke. If it were up to Pelosi, we would still be having parties in Chinatown, and Biden would still be allowing worldwide travel from all across the globe....the death toll would be in the millions. The left and their false talking points are predictable, easy to spot, and laughable....name one thing the democrats have done to stop the spread of the Covid virus?

 

[Kerry Won Ohio]

Increasing the size of the court is a bad solution with a high cost. Ginsberg strongly opposed it. It might be justified, but a far better solution is for Republicans not to get this seat and for increasing the size not to be needed.

Ginsberg is a traditionalist. She is old enough to remember sensible Eisenhower Republicans.

Such quaint views are pretty naïve when Repugs are already pissing on her grave.

 

[Kerry Won Ohio]

I agree. There is no excuse for damaging the country, and as for the policies, they should be decided by the voters and not the supreme court. How likely do you think the democrats can add justices though? They would have to win the Senate, or get some crossover votes. I have a feeling that the majority of Americans think we should wait until after the election to appoint a judge. I believe the GOP is acting very irresponsibly and in an unpopular fashion.

I personally don't want a stacked court. I want a moderate court. I don't think what the GOP is doing is moderating the court. Having a far right court out of touch with the population is not good for the country.

It's very likely that the Democrats can add justices, if they win in November. They just need to have the balls to follow through for a change. Republicans are bullies and the only way to respond to a bully is to punch them in the mouth. Democrats have always played too nice, that's their problem.

 

[Kerry Won Ohio]

Lol, what a joke. If it were up to Pelosi, we would still be having parties in Chinatown, and Biden would still be allowing worldwide travel from all across the globe....the death toll would be in the millions. The left and their false talking points are predictable, easy to spot, and laughable....name one thing the democrats have done to stop the spread of the Covid virus?

Mr. Person is correct...you all love Trump because he is a racist and a bully. That is the whole point. That's why he defeated the 16 other dumb **** Repug nominees in 2016. Trump was the biggest racist and bully of all of them, which is what you all want. The ugliness IS the point.

 

[Athanasius68]

In short, I'm for it. If there's a vacancy close to an election, the president is still in office at that time, and has every right to exercise his or her powers to the last day they're in office. It's normal politics for them to want to get to select a justice, and even though it is a lifetime appointment, they were elected and there's nothing really wrong with it.

But, since Republican stole a seat so egregiously in 2016, with bad and dishonest arguments we knew were lies but are now proven lies, they owe Democrats a seat - just because of hypocrisy and justice, they need to be held to their behavior in 2016, and not get to appoint this Justice.

Democrats should do basically anything they can to make sure that happens, though it's very difficult. Any voters with any patriotism or morals should vote out any who do not in November. Republican voters have shamed themselves badly with their naked pursuit of power at any cost, including voter suppression, buying elections by special interests, and stunts like the Supreme Court theft.

I'd like to see Republicans not get to appoint this vacancy, and for Biden to appoint it, and then to return to normalcy where the president gets to appoint it any time they're in office (short of extreme situations like a vacancy on January 19 the day before leaving office). Otherwise, it's baseless, made-up limits - and McConnell was openly talking about plans to block Hillary all four years as I recall.

A bigger problem is the risk of the lame duck period - imagine trump and the Republican Senate voted out, knowing they're voted out, with over two months left. Imagine a Republican House. They could do practically anything corrupt during that period, not caring about the people's wishes even more than they usually don't, with no election issues, happy to spite the voters who voted them out.

It's not quite clear what to do about that issue. There are 'norms' and 'decency' to politicians respecting the voters' choice, but it's clear those don't exist for Republicans.

What we have learned about SCOTUS vacancies is this:

When Democrats control the Presidency and the Senate, they feel free to nominate and confirm anyone they wish.
When the Democrats control the Presidency but not the Senate, they feel free to nominate whoever they wish, and then dictate to the Republicans that they are to confirm that person.
When the Democrats control neither the presidency and the Senate, they insist that they get to dictate to the Republicans who they nominate and confirm.

And if the Republicans do not do as the Democrats dictate, the Democrats say they reserve the right to burn the system down.

 

[Kerry Won Ohio]

I do speak for my party...it has one member...me.

QAnon has lots of members.

 

[btthegreat]

What a total waste of time replying to this idiocy.....the founding fathers warned of this situation, and the left knows it, you know it....but you don't give a damn. Go on, impeach every other week for all I care.....but the facts are the republican controlled Senate will not convict.....so, go on, make a fool of yourself, again and again and again.

Not advocating it, pointing out the hypocrisy in your position. The only institution who's political power you sneer at in lauding elections and their consequences, is the body who most recently was elected into office.

 

[redbeer]

Mr. Person is correct...you all love Trump because he is a racist and a bully. That is the whole point. That's why he defeated the 16 other dumb **** Repug nominees in 2016. Trump was the biggest racist and bully of all of them, which is what you all want. The ugliness IS the point.

I call b.s.....more hyper radical talking points of a lib....pray, tell me, what has the democrats done to fight the Covid virus?....what ?

 

[Kerry Won Ohio]

I call b.s.....more hyper radical talking points of a lib....pray, tell me, what has the democrats done to fight the Covid virus?....what ?

Why did Trump win the Repug nomination in 2016? Because of his fictional "policies"? LOL.

All of the remaining Repug voters worship at the alter of racism and bullying, with Trump as their God. Repug voters take pride in their ignorance, their racism, and their bullying nastiness.

 

[Mycroft]

QAnon has lots of members.

I don't follow herds.

 

[redbeer]

Not advocating it, pointing out the hypocrisy in your position. The only institution who's political power you sneer at in lauding elections and their consequences, is the body who most recently was elected into office.

Hypocrisy, lol.....coming from a party, who have been trying to impeach a President, even before being sworn into office, put the country through three years of a false Russian Collusion narrative, then impeached a President from a phone call from Ukraine.....through a total partisan way and manner....and claiming it's Trumps fault so many people have died from the Covid virus.....and now want to whine about a constitutional right of a President to nominate a Supreme Court Justice.....wow.

 

[redbeer]

Why did Trump win the Repug nomination in 2016? Because of his fictional "policies"? LOL.

All of the remaining Repug voters worship at the alter of racism and bullying, with Trump as their God. Repug voters take pride in their ignorance, their racism, and their bullying nastiness.

Again, what have the democrats done to fight the Covid virus???

 

[Kerry Won Ohio]

Again, what have the democrats done to fight the Covid virus???

I'll tell you what the Democrats have NOT done...they don't boo people and yell at people for wearing masks. Like the hopelessly stupid trailer trash unsophisticated goober Trump followers. As ****ing stupid as they come.

 

[OscarLevant]

Yes, it's hard to put any limit on it, but somewhere from around now to no limit makes since to me as a norm, after this time. Unfortunately, Democrats are repeating all the Republican BS about how it should never be done for some unspecified period, as if they're legitimizing what was done to Garland, and this will be a battle every time for a year or more before the election. Demcrats are blowing that part.

Senate can make rules, and Graham did.

"I want you to use my words against me: if there's a republic president in 2016 and a vacancy in the last year of the 1st term, you can say Lindsay Graham says 'you can let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination, AND YOU CAN USE MY WORDS AGAINST ME' and you'd be absolutely right. We're setting a precedent here today, Republicans are, that in the last year – at least of a lame duck eight-year term ... that you're not gonna fill a vacant seat of the Supreme Court based on what we're doing here today. That's gonna be the new rule,"

---Sen. Lindsay Graham

New rule, apparently. They even referred to the "Biden rule". Well, it wasn't a rule, but if they are calling what Biden said a rule
we can sure as hell call what Graham said as a rule, particularly because that is precisely how he named it.

Now, if they used that rationale to deprive Obama of a nomination, they should use the same for Trump, noting we are much closer to the election, with a nominee, than with Obama, 10 months out with no nominee.

If they don't, they are hypocrites. They have the power, we don't, it's on them.

 

[Middle_Ground]

I've thought the supreme court should be expanded since Thomas was approved for the court.
I never understood why the courts right under the supreme court had so many more justices than the supreme court.
I remember the bruh ha over that guy and said why is there only 9?
Now I know that it's a norm not a law. I say let's start adding.
I heard Trump today say Obama gave him 182 (I think that was the number) judges. It just reminded me of how dirty mitch has been playing for a while.

I'm all for expanding the court up to the number of the court directly beneath the supreme court. I'm also for a law that states no judges at all within 90 days of any presidential or senate election excluding special elections.
If the court is kept at 9 I'm in favor of a law also that says no supreme without at least 60 votes, no rule a law
We used to be able to agree on at least the supreme court now everything is 50 +1.
If we keep it at 9 then any judge with less than 60 gets to either resign, retire or be removed.

 

[Fishking]

If Trump wins Presidency and Democrats controll House and Senate there should be no cries from the Right when Trump is removed from office through Impeachment.

After all having political control is the only argument Republicans are putting forth on the Supreme court matter.

You understand they've already tried this, right? Just for losing an election. Your argument is putting the horse before the cart.

 

[skeptic llc]

Elections have consequences and since Trump is President and Republicans have control of the Senate....why not?....Do you think the Democrats would do differently? They just need to do their duty and confirm the next justice. This is simple politics, and not even equating the massive obstruction against Trump the last four years....but when we add their vitriol into the equation.....the answer is the heck with what the left whines about, as they are getting what they deserve....period.

Huh? Were you alive in 2016? Rs invented a new standard, no lame duck nominees. Now they change their fabricated new standard?

 

[Craig234]

Oh horse hockey. You're part of the problem, Craig.

As far as I needed to read to see I'm talking to someone who is uninformed and not useful to talk to, the last post I'll see from you.