We will struggle to get a centrist into the Supreme Court. What does this mean?

[Bonobo]

It has been asked: "How will Sanders get a liberal into the Supreme Court?"

Let's forget for the moment that this begs the question: "How would Hillary?"

Instead let's focus on what Pres. Obama is facing. How will HE get an appointment into the Supreme Court. After all, he is facing concerted opposition even BEFORE he names someone. Think about that!

It means that no matter who he appoints, he will face the same level of opposition. It ls likely that he will have to resort to some kind of trickery like a recess appointment to get this done.And who is he likely to appoint? Why yes, a centrist. Why?

The Republicans certainly have appointed over-the-top right wing religious nuts to the Supreme Court? Why can't we put an unrepentant liberal in there since we will face the same degree of opposition anyway?

We will fight and fight and fight... to get a Centrist in -who will then be called a radical left winger. And what is the result of this???? That the Centrist gets redefined as "left wing", the center moves to the right, and the liberal side of the party gets shoved off the radar.

We need to stop this wimpy, ineffectual fucking around and fight fire with fire. Appoint a Progressive!!!

[demosocialist]

1. 100% AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Kenjie]

2. Appoint a Progressive!!!

Time will tell.

[kenfrequed]

3. Indeed!

I want president Obama to get another progressive onto the bench. It may well be the most lasting contribution he will make at this point.

We cannot allow the repukes in the Senate to try to pretend we are going to wait a year for this.

[liberal_at_heart]

4. Well said! I'm sick of graveling at the Republicans feet. I say let's fight.

[earthshine]

8. You expect Obama to fight?

In the last eight years, he fought for four things:

- his election

- his reelection

- The ACA, which is warmed-over, republican health insurance. It is a failure. Premiums and deductibles are going up, and people cannot afford to get sick, or rather to get well.

- The TPP. I saw anger and frustration on his face as he argued for this. Never saw him this way before. Fortunately, he didn't have enough political capital to pass it.

One thing I know about Bernie -- he will fight for us, even if it kills him.

[GoneFishin]

12. I didn't know how to bring that up. He fights for corporations. Occasionally we get some crumbs.

I anticipate him nominating someone with lackluster to lukewarm socially progressive creds and gung-ho pro corporate creds, like Eric Holder. Someone who will capitulate to the Republicans by being a corporate suck-up, while simultaneously being socially accomodating enough for them to call him/her a commie bleeding-heart liberal.

[earthshine]

13. Neither Sotomayor nor Kagan are especially liberal

Ginsberg was quoted as saying (sorry, no link), one of the reasons she stays is that Obama would never nominate anyone as liberal as her.

Republican obstructionism is part of his political theater.

Centrism is being mildly socially liberal, but financially, solely for the big money interests.

Thanks.

[GoneFishin]

14. Well put. "Republican obstructionism is part of his political theater."

[cascadiance]

5. If they don't nominate a progressive, Bernie will get nominated and win...

... and a populist vote "revolution" will put a more populist Senate in place to approve a new justice in 2017.

So, the message should be given that unless they nominate at least a left of center justice, they will get an even more left of center justice later, AND lose the senate and presidency to Sanders in 2017.

Play hardball, and claim the position of negotiation. Don't just cede it away! And tell Obama that if he doesn't appoint a reasonable LEFT of center justice, we could play the same game of holding off an approval until 2017... The longer the process takes, and the more ugly the Republican senators look, we should publicly claim a bigger victory will happen in 2016 election!

SEIZE IT!!!

And I will start by voting for Kevin Stine in the primary race against Ron Wyden, so that not only do Democrats win back the Senate, but we replace some of the more corporate Democrats running this time around with more progressive candidates running in this election. Folks like Stine winning and sending a strong message to other Dems on where the populace stands on things like the TPP, will let them know where their allegiance should be.

http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2015/09/medford_councilor_says_he_will.html

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. The DLC will pick one.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

7. Read this excellent article on implications of Scalia's death on the election

"You can bet that Ted Cruz will be running on a platform to replace Scalia with more and more Scalias. This could finally be the election that brings the Supreme Court into national focus much more (it has not been mentioned so far in any of the presidential debates I’ve seen). You can listen to UCI Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discuss the implications of the changing Supreme Court with Dahlia Lithwick on Slate’s Amicus podcast.

The Implications for the Nation of a changing Supreme Court. There is so much at stake concerning the Supreme Court for the next few years. As I wrote in Plutocrats United, the easiest way to amend the Constitution to deal with campaign finance disasters like the Supreme Court’s opinion in Citizens United is not to formally amend the Constitution, but instead to change the composition of the Supreme Court."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/scalia-death-2016-implications

We know Republicans can't win on the issues. Which is why secys' of state around the country are adding restrictions to voting as opposed to Obama's plea to have more of us vote. With courts stacked from local to SCOTUS, elections won't much matter - period.

[Betty Karlson]

9. Entirely agree with that. With all respect to justice Kennedy,

but he has been the swing vote for too long. I'd like to see Justice Sotomayor become the swing vote.

[JoeyT]

10. Obama could literally dig the corpse of Karl Marx up,

have someone reanimate it, and he'd face exactly the same amount of opposition he's already going to face.

Were I in his shoes, I'd nominate the furthest left person I could find. Then toss out the "compromise" man/woman after they finish doing CPR on the Republicans.

[tomm2thumbs]

11. If they have to do it quickly or else, submit Senator Susan Collins

put a fellow Senator in there and lets see how much pull friends have on the court nomination

(honestly I have not dug deeply into her record... just throwing it out there so I can get pelted with stones...)

[LWolf]

15. I agree. So...

who are some great candidates that we can send with our letters to Obama about this situation?

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Fighting fire with fire in this case means blocking appointments

which you can do the next time there's a Republican president, but not until then. I suggest you find something else to fight fire with.