Posted on 02/17/2016 6:00:27 AM PST by doldrumsforgop
President Obama fired back Tuesday at Senate Republicans pre-emptively threatening to block his eventual nominee to succeed the late Justice Antonin Scalia, saying at a press conference that the Senate has “more than enough time†to consider his pick and he intends to press ahead.
“The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now,†Obama said. “When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone. The Senate is to consider that nomination.â€
Obama, in his most extensive remarks on the vacancy since the 79-year-old Scalia was found dead at a Texas ranch on Saturday, rejected widespread calls by Republican lawmakers and 2016 candidates to defer to the next president to fill Scalia’s seat.
“There is no unwritten law that says that it can only be done on off-years. That’s not in the constitutional text,†Obama said, blasting what he called an “obstructionist†Senate.
The president has found himself in an awkward position, though, as he scolds Republicans over threats to block his nominee – since Obama, as a U.S. senator, tried in 2006 to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito, who ultimately was confirmed. Asked about that seeming discrepancy on Tuesday, Obama did not answer directly. He noted that senators are sometimes worried about primary elections and a backlash from supporters, and take “strategic decisions.†But he brushed off his own opposition to Alito, saying he’s on the bench now, “regardless of which votes particular senators have taken.â€
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Dear Lord, please let the obstructionist Senate live up to its name right now!
He can do his duty, and the congress can do theirs. And theirs is not be a rubber stamp.
Obama is busy even now, collecting payoffs and bribes from those who wish to be nominated (obviously that’s just my opinion).
How come Trump could name two judges right away and Obama hasn’t named one yet?
If he get another court nominee we will see every liberal agenda item rammed through the courts so fast it will make your head spin
The only surprising thing to me is that they are stil at least using the system to stry to suvert the system... when they stop even caring what processes are in place that is when we know things have reached critical mass
A new suprmeme court judge is the single biggest thing they could probably have wished for right now
DO NOT CONFIRM
“BORK” the crap out of every single nominee
It’s funny this commie Kenyan bastard didn’t have this same “constitutional doody” when Samuel Alito came up for nomination.
I disagree- I actually think private enrichment is secondary to obama- I mean I think he takes it whenever he can, but communist idealogy is his (and his puppet masters) primary concern.
He may be too stupid to know he is being used, though, for THEIR private enrichment
I agree with Obama, the Senate needs to consider his nominee.
I also agree with Obama that this is a very important decision.
Due to the gravity of the decision, I would think the Senate will need at least 12 months to give this decision the proper consideration.
“The Senate is to consider that nomination”........
These are the MOST IMPORTANT words in the constitution when it comes to selecting a SC judge. It does NOT SAY that the Senate has to agree and approve the nomination, it only says they have to consider it. It also does not say WHEN they have to make their decision. Odumbo has run up against a brick wall PROVIDING the rinos get a backbone and stop his nomination(s). No matter who odumbo puts forth, deny, delay, deny, delay. Let the next president send someone new. If the demodummies win and get their president in place, stick to the guns and deny, delay, denay and delay............
FUBO!
Hopefully so will the Senate.
The Constitution says the Senate may approve or deny those appointments. The Constitution does not place the Senate under obligation to approve any of those individual appointees, no matter how many are tendered.
fi he nominates someone, that person will remain viable until they are rejected. delaying doesnt’ remove them, it merely postpones whilst public pressure, led by the media, mounts. vote quickly, and vote them DOWN. repeat until either an acceptable candidate comes along, or the term expires
Obama is already winning the argument on this. The Republicans need to get out front and go on the offensive. Obama does have the constitutional authority to appoint a justice, but Congress has the responsibility to make sure that person is a jurist, not an activist. Obama is setting the field so the low information crowd thinks the confirmation process is a rubber stamp.
I get the tongue-in-cheek inflection. But, all kidding aside, the Republicans should take a play out of the Democrat playbook. In the same circumstances, the Democrats would fight every step of the process to the death. They would maintain a constant drumbeat of vicious innuendo through every media outlet, they would hold dramatic press conferences in the Rotunda attacking the President’s extremist agenda, they would block every committee hearing with nasty speeches against Republicans. They would do this at every stage, delaying, obfuscating, attacking and wearing down their opponents relentlessly. They stay on offense all the time.
Having said all that, a little reality check: Las Vegas bookmakers are not laying odds if the Republicans will cave; only how fast they will cave.
Obama is a snotty little boy. The GOP had better learn to fight these childlike Dems who will be making a BIG issue out of nothing.
The GOP has the high ground, however they MUST enunciate it and do it OVER AND OVER. The need to hire a public relations firm because they seem inept. Get the clips with all the Dems shutting down the process when the shoe is on the other foot.
And here’s how they win the election in a landslide, Reince, are you listening?
Tell America that the GOP trusts them to make this important decision at the polls, use your right to vote.
Ask them, in the same way “are you better today than before Obama was elected” but instead use this.
Your Freedoms are at risk, your right to hunt and carry a weapon, your religious freedom, your freedom from big intrusive government - you have a clear choice....elect the GOP nominee who will not take away your freedoms OR elect Hillary who will.
Then repeat, repeat, repeat.
It’ll be stuck in committee. McConnell will never get hold of it.
Totally agree, the GOP is soooo disappointing.
Fine. Fulfill your Constitutional duty — offer up an appointee and the Senate can fulfill its Constitutional duty and reject the appointee. It is just that simple. Why all the fuss? We know whoever it is will be an Obama clone.
Congress = Senate.
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