In a surprise move, Obama said at a press conference today that he intended to do his job as the Constitution spelled it out. Pundits who had expected him to say “Ok then let’s just wait until next year” were left wondering what signs they had missed.
President Obama on Tuesday challenged Republicans to offer any plausible rationale for refusing to consider a Supreme Court candidate to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last weekend, and he pledged to nominate someone with an “outstanding legal mind” who cares about democracy and the rule of law.
That’s just shockingly irresponsible and inflammatory.
“The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now,” Mr. Obama said during a news conference after a meeting in California with leaders of Southeast Asia. He said the Constitution demands that a president nominate someone for the court and the Senate either confirms or rejects.
“There’s no unwritten law that says that it can only be done on off years,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s not in the Constitutional text.”
Yes but Republicans don’t want to, because they want to wait until Donald Trump can do it. That’s more important than some stupid constitution. Obama’s an elitist who refuses to listen to the people.
Comments
9 responses to “Any plausible rationale”
I get why the opposition would want to delay, but why would pundits pretend there was anything to their claims that Obama should respect?
@Samantha
Received wisdom held that the Republicans would simply refuse to hold hearings; maybe the press figured Obama would assume it futile to appoint anyone.
But good on him calling the Republican’s bluff. The shortlist of probable nominees I’ve seen looks good; I think any Republican obstructionism will rebound on them with the general public. In an election year, they can’t just play to their base.
Score so far: Obama 1, GOP 0.
There’s already been some wavering by the GOP. Senator Grassley, chair of the Judiciary Committee, partially walked back his earlier comments about not giving any Obama nominee a hearing.
I’m sure the fact that Grassley is up for re-election this fall in a swing state (Iowa) and just got excoriated by the Des Moines Register had nothing to do with it….
Bizarrely, there are actually people on the left that hold Obama accountable for this, chiding him for engaging in a ‘pointless fight’ and why couldn’t he just acquiesce to the Republican obstructionism? It actually needed to be pointed out that he wasn’t the one to draw yet another line in the sand; this pointless fight is – again – entirely caused by said Republicans throwing tantrum after tantrum.
US Supreme Court Justice David Duke
Anyone who doesn’t get why Obama has to do this now is living in the same information-free bubble as the republicans.
Democtrats: The Party That Does Their Job
Women: The Congress That Shows Up For Work
https://www.facebook.com/144310995587370/photos/a.271728576178944.71555.144310995587370/1124104024274724/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/144310995587370/photos/a.271728576178944.71555.144310995587370/1125657100786083/?type=3&theater