republicans' plan to block scalia's replacement may well back-fire big time

[unblock]

for the simple reason that they might well lose the senate.

it's quite plausible that a new democratic president with a new majority (even if a bare 50-50 with veep breaking the tie) installs a rather more liberal justice on the court than would be the case if obama had to nominate someone who could get confirmed by a republican senate.

i'm hoping they rue the day they decided to be obstructionists yet again....

[Trajan]

1. Exactly ...

You have to question the logic behind this choice ... Their arrogance will be their undoing ...

Obama needs to present his choice, and let them wither on the vine ... Let the people see them act like the high school buffoons they are ...

[Orrex]

2. I suspect that they're betting they'll win the Whitehouse

And they know from past experience that Democrats are wholly incapable of blocking the will of Senate Republicans.

They envision President Cruz digging up and re-nominating the corpse of Antonin Scalia, along with a few RW stalwarts to Scalia's right.

[Trajan]

17. I totally get that

But it's a folly ... And folly is the foundation of conservative thinking ...

Obama needs to just do his job, present his choice, and then let the Senate Republicans flap in the media winds ... Let them hang out there with this burden, unwilling to do their constitutional responsibility, until the pressure forces them to reconsider their ridiculous refusal ...

[eissa]

3. Not to mention it will galvanize us to get to the polls

All this Bernie/Hillary mudslinging going on between their supporters will go out the window at the prospect of President Trump appointing someone to the SCOTUS.

[Duckhunter935]

4. I hope so

[fredamae]

5. They have been held accountable for

Nothing.
Not the gov't shutdown. Not when they caused the US Credit Rating to slip. Not when the VRA was Gutted. Not when Citizens United happened. Not when Citizens United was made Stronger. Not when they Sold off Sacred Native Lands, Not when Oil Trains were exploding all over. Not over the Historical Obstruction thru Filibuster's. Not the Austerity Budgets. None of the GOP Governors are held to account.
Every Single time they've done something So bad...and Every time We said "they'll pay for this-This'll do it-the Party is Over etc, etc" They have been Re-Elected And handed Bigger Majorities.
This is No different, imo.

[jeff47]

8. Well, we keep putting up shitty candidates against them.

The way they'd be held accountable is to lose the next election. When we keep putting up candidates that won't even admit to voting for Obama, they will not lose the next election.

[fredamae]

12. It used to be that even the shittiest

Dems were better than GOP.....now not so much. imo

People don't vote when they're pissed...when they don't vote more people get pissed and the ones Already pissed have More reasons to be pissed-so More people Don't vote....etc etc and pretty soon...2016 is here...both party's are imploding and yet they pay No attention...and so Even More people, who are growing More pissed Won't Vote.
Welcome the Grand Reward for Bad Behavior>>>>>POTUS Trump.

[subterranean]

13. They're more afraid of losing support for cooperating with Obama.

[fredamae]

15. I believe, at this point

that's their excuse for their Willful disregard for the American People in favor of servitude to Wall Street. I believe now-that everything is going exactly the way the Moneyed want it. Theatrical Finger Pointing won't work forever, imo. Both major party's are bleeding out registrants.

We can't possibly be collectively accidently overlooking this level of corruption (or stupidity) it would take for this bs to be an accidental consequence on behalf of the lawmakers We elected. We have been lied to for Years. We ate it up. We Trusted their spoken word. And then we voted. And here we are.
Now, people won't vote so the Minority (crazies) gets the last word.

[Ilsa]

6. Are we in position to retake the Senate?

I had no idea we were close. Media isn't covering much.

[jeff47]

7. Yes.

Senate terms are 6 years. The people who are up for election this year won in the 2010 election. A whole lot of Republicans rode the 2010 wave into Senate seats, when they would have lost a more "normal" election.

So if we have a high-turnout 2016 election, then we have a very good chance of retaking the Senate. If we don't have high turnout, then they may be able to hold on.

[Ilsa]

11. Thank you. I'm behind on this. nt

[subterranean]

9. There are 24 Republican seats up for reelection.

Only 10 for Democrats. We could very well regain control of the Senate, IF we get a good turnout on Election Day.

[Ilsa]

10. Thank you. I'm behind on this. nt

[Jim Lane]

18. Here's a good source for a quick Senate overview.

The website electoral-vote.com has a page on the Senate races. The color-coded map shows you which party won the seat in 2010 and whether it was an easy win, a squeaker, or something in between. Some exposition about the big picture is followed by a state-by-state breakdown, with a paragraph about each race.

[hollowdweller]

14. GOP I think is messing up

Obama will nominate a more conservative justice than Hillary would just to get them thru.

Hillary might even nominate Obama.

If the dems took the senate then they might end up further behind than they would be if they accepted Obama's appointment.

Already 4/4 they are getting rulings against them.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/supreme_court_dispatches/2016/02/in_the_oral_arguments_for_utah_v_strieff_the_supreme_court_s_liberals_spoke.2.html


My only concern is after saying how much she is the candidate for black people, she might nominate someone who is more pro business and less pro civil liberties.

I think it should be somebody black who knows what it is like to be messed with by the cops over nothing.

[TheProgressive]

16. The Constitution requires the President to nominate a SC Justice. Period.

Obama needs to do this relatively quickly. Then the ball is in the Senate court.
The failure of the Senate to confirm a legitimate justice should cause
Americans to get out the pitchforks.

The next president will either be Sanders or Trump. If Clinton is selected as
the presidential nominee, then Trump is the next president. If Sanders wins
the primaries, then Sanders wins the presidency and selects the Justice.

We cannot take a chance. Obama and the Senate must fulfill their constitutional
obligation to appoint a SC justice.