Republican senator promises not to approve Hillary SC appointments

[Pens1566]

Can't say I'm shocked at this statement. Doesn't mean it's not appalling though. Party before country. Yay. And I agree, they'll be begging for Garland once it all settles out.

 

[dullard]

It's just another example of Repub hostage taking. The hostage, as usual, is a fully functional govt.

Now they have the impudence & gall to tear down the institution & traditions of the Supreme Court. The Court needs 9 justices to be fully functional. Everybody knows this. Refusing to provide that is disrespectful of the needs of the People & of the Constitution itself. It's truly shameful.

Why 9? I'm not disagreeing with the bulk of your post, but I want to know your logic behind "The Court needs 9 justices to be fully functional. Everybody knows this".

Odd numbers are useful (avoids too many ties). Whole numbers are useful (I don't want a fractional justice). Numbers more than 1 are useful (otherwise this is just like a Supreme Leader). Numbers less than say 100 are useful (otherwise you get disfunction like in congress). But why 9? Why not 7, why not 11?

 

[fskimospy]

Why 9? I'm not disagreeing with the bulk of your post, but I want to know your logic behind "The Court needs 9 justices to be fully functional. Everybody knows this".

Odd numbers are useful (avoids too many ties). Whole numbers are useful (I don't want a fractional justice). Numbers more than 1 are useful (otherwise this is just like a Supreme Leader). Numbers less than say 100 are useful (otherwise you get disfunction like in congress). But why 9? Why not 7, why not 11?

The number didn't have to be nine (and in fact in the past it was different) but I think it basically has to be 9 now for the sake of good governance. There have been attempts in the past to monkey with the number of justices and they were always in pursuit of some partisan goal. Our governing norms say that SCOTUS has 9 justices and for the court to retain its legitimacy I think it needs to stay there. Anything else and one half of the country will just discount whatever comes out of it as partisan crap. (hell, plenty do already but still)

 

[PokerGuy]

I'm not sold on the dystopic vision that's being peddled by the Republicans with America as a country in precipitous decline that can only be "saved" by them.

The country is very much in decline, our freedoms are being eroded quickly by the left, right and the corporations that hold the purse strings. Freedom of expression is under siege from the politically correct masses, especially at schools/colleges/unis, the place where future generations are being molded. I have no illusions that the republicans would be the ones to save the day either, they are frequently part of the problem as well. I just think having a corrupt crook in the white house with the full support of the media, social media empires like facebook, google, twitter and rich celebs with unchecked power to appoint more idiots to the supreme court for life will hasten the downfall tremendously.

The country is changing obviously (demographically most importantly) but I guess that's even more scary to many.

Demographics changing isn't a good or a bad thing, it just is. Nothing inherently wrong with it. The problem is that the percentage of people in the country that don't believe in the foundational values of the country and have not (and will not) culturally mix into the US has reached critical mass. No turning back from that, the country has already passed it's peak and is on the decline.

 

[ivwshane]

Quick! Someone get him a safe space!

The country is very much in decline, our freedoms are being eroded quickly by the left, right and the corporations that hold the purse strings. Freedom of expression is under siege from the politically correct masses, especially at schools/colleges/unis, the place where future generations are being molded. I have no illusions that the republicans would be the ones to save the day either, they are frequently part of the problem as well. I just think having a corrupt crook in the white house with the full support of the media, social media empires like facebook, google, twitter and rich celebs with unchecked power to appoint more idiots to the supreme court for life will hasten the downfall tremendously.



Demographics changing isn't a good or a bad thing, it just is. Nothing inherently wrong with it. The problem is that the percentage of people in the country that don't believe in the foundational values of the country and have not (and will not) culturally mix into the US has reached critical mass. No turning back from that, the country has already passed it's peak and is on the decline.

The only people who don't seem to believe in foundational values is the right, mostly the extreme right. However people like McCain are quickly being folded into the mix. What foundational value allows blocking any and all SC nominations?

 

[dainthomas]

Demographics changing isn't a good or a bad thing, it just is. Nothing inherently wrong with it. The problem is that the percentage of people in the country that don't believe in the foundational values of the country and have not (and will not) culturally mix into the US has reached critical mass. No turning back from that, the country has already passed it's peak and is on the decline.

The "good old days" never existed. By most measures, things are as good as they've ever been.

But it's difficult for republicans to implement their regressive policies without falling back on fear-mongering.

 

[Atreus21]

At this point, the more gridlock we have, the better. Perhaps we should just keep 8 justices. Whether the next judicial candidate be the reincarnation of Scalia or Sandra O'Connor.

 

[jackstar7]

At this point, the more gridlock we have, the better. Perhaps we should just keep 8 justices. Whether the next judicial candidate be the reincarnation of Scalia or Sandra O'Connor.

So you don't want representative government? Get out.

 

[ivwshane]

At this point, the more gridlock we have, the better. Perhaps we should just keep 8 justices. Whether the next judicial candidate be the reincarnation of Scalia or Sandra O'Connor.

Sure, if you are an idiot who isn't big on thinking about unintended consequences.

 

[ronbo613]

Four more years of government gridlock coming up. Good thing the problems of the world can wait

 

[ivwshane]

Four more years of government gridlock coming up. Good thing the problems of the world can wait

The problems of the world? Shit! Our own problems can't wait!

 

[MrPickins]

At this point, the more gridlock we have, the better. Perhaps we should just keep 8 justices. Whether the next judicial candidate be the reincarnation of Scalia or Sandra O'Connor.

Sure, if you are an idiot who isn't big on thinking about unintended consequences.

Also if you like government that does nothing but waste time and money.

 

[PokerGuy]

The problems of the world? Shit! Our own problems can't wait!

You're assuming the idiots in DC are going to be able to "fix" the problems (here or elsewhere). I don't buy that for a second, so gridlock is a better answer than further screwing things up.

 

[PokerGuy]

The "good old days" never existed. By most measures, things are as good as they've ever been.

That's simply not true. In decades past you could have a middle class family with one breadwinner. Today even with both parents working outside the home most families don't have nearly the same disposable income as before. I'm not living in some idealized fantasy world of yesteryear either, I know there were plenty of bad things then too. However, I don't think it's hard to see that as a whole the country is sliding backwards.

 

[ivwshane]

You're assuming the idiots in DC are going to be able to "fix" the problems (here or elsewhere). I don't buy that for a second, so gridlock is a better answer than further screwing things up.

Maybe the idiots you vote for can't fix the problems but I do have faith in the people I vote for.
Perhaps you should stop voting for idiots who see gridlock as a valid alternative to actual governing.

 

[jackstar7]

You're assuming the idiots in DC are going to be able to "fix" the problems (here or elsewhere). I don't buy that for a second, so gridlock is a better answer than further screwing things up.

Yeah! You're representation is diminished, so everything should stop! Disenfranchise the majority of voters! Yay!

 

[jackstar7]

I'm not living in some idealized fantasy world of yesteryear either, I know there were plenty of bad things then too. However, I don't think it's hard to see that as a whole the country is sliding backwards.

Backwards towards open racism and misogyny? No no, we see it.

 

[PokerGuy]

Yeah! You're representation is diminished, so everything should stop! Disenfranchise the majority of voters! Yay!

Gridlock is "disenfranchising voters"? Wonderful theory.

 

[jackstar7]

Gridlock is "disenfranchising voters"? Wonderful theory.

If the majority of people vote against the agenda you voted for, and you want to then see the government do nothing, rather than carry out the agenda of the majority, then yeah, you're basically telling people that their vote is meaningless because you'll just find another way to remove their power.

 

[jackstar7]

Also, when was the last time a party stopped carrying out their responsibility so completely as the Congress has a new SCOTUS appointment? How does this serve the people?

Goddamn children.

 

[theeedude]

You have to understand what's happening to the GOP, it's in a death spiral of crazy. The crazier they get, the more sane people leave the party, the more the crazies are in charge. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Trump losing is not going to cure what Ailes (pun intended) them. The only cure is to vote these bums out and not let them return until they are completely reformed.

 

[pauldun170]

The "good old days" never existed. By most measures, things are as good as they've ever been.

But it's difficult for republicans to implement their regressive policies without falling back on fear-mongering.

Take a look through some of the landmark court cases over the past 100 years. That alone is enough to counter any nonsense about "good old days"

 

[Jhhnn]

Why 9? I'm not disagreeing with the bulk of your post, but I want to know your logic behind "The Court needs 9 justices to be fully functional. Everybody knows this".

Odd numbers are useful (avoids too many ties). Whole numbers are useful (I don't want a fractional justice). Numbers more than 1 are useful (otherwise this is just like a Supreme Leader). Numbers less than say 100 are useful (otherwise you get disfunction like in congress). But why 9? Why not 7, why not 11?

The workload of the modern court is such that 9 justices are basically a minimum. The chances of ever having more aren't part of reality.

The constitutional duties of the Executive & the Senate are quite clear. It's also quite clear that vacancies occur at random & are what both parties have to deal with constructively. Repub presidents appointed 12 of the last 16 justices. None were filibustered & only one (Bork) was turned away with a bipartisan effort. As much as Dems may not have liked it at the time, they did their constitutional duty. When push came to shove, they honored that duty & the American people, set aside partisanship. And today? Doing anything else is shameful & we all really know that.

 

[agent00f]

McCain is probably going to win in November, but if he goes on like this his chances may diminish and he may lose. He may be marginalizing himself too, I'm surprised he's taking this stance. The American public are not going to take kindly to this attitude. They weren't crazy about the GOP stonewalling Obama on SCOTUS appointment and stonewalling HRC indefinitely could easily prove to weaken the GOP over time and they may find themselves weakening even further, losing the house and all leverage. I'm no expert, but this seems completely plausible to me.

IMO he's gambling on this shoring up more base support for himself than moderates leaving, we'll have to see how it works out for him.

The "good old days" never existed. By most measures, things are as good as they've ever been.

But it's difficult for republicans to implement their regressive policies without falling back on fear-mongering.

The good old days presumably existed for some folks, when certain men can act like trump without fear of consequences.

 

[K1052]

The country is very much in decline, our freedoms are being eroded quickly by the left, right and the corporations that hold the purse strings. Freedom of expression is under siege from the politically correct masses, especially at schools/colleges/unis, the place where future generations are being molded. I have no illusions that the republicans would be the ones to save the day either, they are frequently part of the problem as well. I just think having a corrupt crook in the white house with the full support of the media, social media empires like facebook, google, twitter and rich celebs with unchecked power to appoint more idiots to the supreme court for life will hasten the downfall tremendously.

Assertions with no facts and a healthy side of paranoia. Compelling.

Demographics changing isn't a good or a bad thing, it just is. Nothing inherently wrong with it. The problem is that the percentage of people in the country that don't believe in the foundational values of the country and have not (and will not) culturally mix into the US has reached critical mass. No turning back from that, the country has already passed it's peak and is on the decline.

Elaborate. Which people and how exactly do they not share the "foundational values" (enumerate these as well) of our country?