gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
They're gentlemen, not unlike the one in France who'd guillotine you even if the weather's crap.
Of course... The President had until yesterday to make a recess appointment, so it makes perfect sense that they hold off on this announcement until after they are back from recess... now Prez Obama can't do anything about it. If they had made this announcement last week, he could have just shrugged and made a recess appointment.Update on the Nomination. No Negotiations. Period.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/senate-gop-supreme-court-219661
Of course... The President had until yesterday to make a recess appointment, so it makes perfect sense that they hold off on this announcement until after they are back from recess... now Prez Obama can't do anything about it. If they had made this announcement last week, he could have just shrugged and made a recess appointment.
Its funny that they are hiding behind "letting the American people have their say" because the American people did have their say... in 2012 the American people said we want Prez Obama to fill SCOTUS openings from now until January 2017.
Frankly, the Repubs already saying up-front that they'll refuse any candidate without question should already be a win for the President, but... meh.
It might be politically smart, in that it would put the Republicans in a tight spot (though I wonder how Democrats would feel about it), but it's putting a Republican on the Supreme Court, which defeats the whole point of a Democrat pick. It's like giving the Republicans a lot of what they want just so they can't complain about it.
Republicans want a replacement as far right as Scalia though.
Why is it stupid?
Mostly what Camikaze said. It's squandering a once in decades opportunity to drastically reshape the Court, and he's floating a Republican. Even if the guy doesn't hate gay people and is otherwise "moderate" on social issues, he's still going to be far to the right on environmental, labor, and other issues that will arise.
Tactically, selecting a popular governor whose name is often mentioned as a Senate candidate or a possible VP for 2016 sounds like a savvy move, but it's all short term politics with no long-term gain. That's mostly why I'm calling it brilliantly stupid. If this was a chess book, it wouldn't be listed as a good or brilliant move, nor as a blunder, but as a mixed, unexpected, WTH moment like "?!"
Mostly what Camikaze said. It's squandering a once in decades opportunity to drastically reshape the Court, and he's floating a Republican. Even if the guy doesn't hate gay people and is otherwise "moderate" on social issues, he's still going to be far to the right on environmental, labor, and other issues that will arise.
Tactically, selecting a popular governor whose name is often mentioned as a Senate candidate or a possible VP for 2016 sounds like a savvy move, but it's all short term politics with no long-term gain. That's mostly why I'm calling it brilliantly stupid. If this was a chess book, it wouldn't be listed as a good or brilliant move, nor as a blunder, but as a mixed, unexpected, WTH moment like "?!"