SUPREME COURT: JUSTICE SCALIA DEATH AND SCOTUS CHANGES

[HairOfTheDog]

Multiple media reports indicate that he was found dead while on a west Texas ranch where he was staying as part of a group hunting excursion.



Antonin Scalia, 79, was the longest serving Supreme Court Justice, appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986.  RIP.

He was a conservative justice who was strongly opposed to the same sex marriage decision handed down by narrow majority vote of the Supreme Court last year.

As the sitting President, I believe Obama will appoint his replacement -- that's bound to make some conservatives very uneasy.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national...-1.2530791
http://www.kvia.com/news/breaking-surpre...2#.Vr-lu2M

[Adub]

Kind of shocking, but I think he just might go straight to hell.

[Duchess]

Not sure why this surprised me, he was 79 after all but, nonetheless I was surprised to see the thread title.

I saw him interviewed quite awhile ago. I thought he'd be uptight & straight laced but he had a bawdy sense of humor.

[HairOfTheDog]

He was very outspoken, brash, and conservative (and sometimes off the rails, in my opinion).

Scalia prided himself in calling it as he saw it and no holds barred debate. He was very aggressive in his case questioning and challenges.

He championed the ruling that the Second Amendment allowed citizens to keep guns for self defense, he opposed Roe vs. Wade, he opposed same sex marriage...


He was a funny and kind of charming guy off the bench though, I thought. Heck, one of his best friends was Democratic moderately liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (or as I call her, "the napper"), pictured with Scalia above.

So, Scalia's barely cold and Mitch McConnell, Republican Senate Majority Leader, is already lobbying to block Obama from selecting his predecessor.

"The American people‎ should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president," McConnell said in a statement. Sorry Mitch, I don't think President Obama and the Democrats are gonna grant you that wish, if they can help it.

[Adub]

I bet Obama did a face palm when he heard the news, like why me???

[Adub]

Obama needs to nominate someone like in there 40s so they will be there a long time. Maybe even a LGBT. That'd be fun. Waiting for it.

[Adub]

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live

President Obama Delivers a Statement on the Passing of Supreme Court Justice Scalia


Rancho Mirage, California
Start time 8:30 PM EST

[Duchess]

I was listening to coverage of this while I was falling asleep last night. It's going to turn into another Washington fiasco. Regardless of who is nominated the Republicans will not go along with it. Two things were reiterated over & over and over. The first being, the Republicans won't agree to whomever it is and then there was the question of who will willingly allow themselves to be put in this position. All the talking heads agreed that it isn't like the old days when the nominee would take some shit for awhile and then sit on the bench for the next 30 years. They said it doesn't happen like that anymore. The two sides will be at each others throats and there will be no compromise. I'm not sure I heard this correctly but I think someone said this could drag out for 2 years.

[Maggot]

Whenever the Dems don't get what they want they blame it on the Pubs saying they are not compromising. It happens all the time. Government is not working because of the republicans, the budget won't pass because of the republicans, the law won't go through because of the republicans. Yet there are many laws and budgets that get shot down, vetoed, and pork gets added until its not the same anymore as presented by the republicans. It works both ways yet its portrayed as a one sided issue. Many dance on the grave before the body is cold yet that's OK. It just shows the mentality that is the Democrats. No wonder they're so divided in Washington.

[thekid65]

I was listening to coverage of this while I was falling asleep last night. It's going to turn into another Washington fiasco. Regardless of who is nominated the Republicans will not go along with it. Two things were reiterated over & over and over. The first being, the Republicans won't agree to whomever it is and then there was the question of who will willingly allow themselves to be put in this position. All the talking heads agreed that it isn't like the old days when the nominee would take some shit for awhile and then sit on the bench for the next 30 years. They said it doesn't happen like that anymore. The two sides will be at each others throats and there will be no compromise. I'm not sure I heard this correctly but I think someone said this could drag out for 2 years.

The right is going to do anything they can to block anyone the POTUS tries to nominate while he's still in office. One, because they need a righty in there to replace Scalia, and 2, a nice big Fuck You to Obama for some of these executive actions he's pulled. Assuming a Republican gets elected, it's doubtful, IMO, that it will drag out very long after the election.

[Duchess]

Someone speaking on Meet The Press this morning said that it is so highly unusual to nominate a Justice in an election year that it has only happened once in 80 years.

I would have referred to her by name but I didn't hear her introduced.

[QueenBee]

Mitch McConnell a republican, says we should wait until new President is in office to appoint new justice so that "the American people will have a say in the appointment". So, The American People will NOT have a say if the sitting Democrat in office appoints? I am doing the face palm because isn't every election based on the say of the American people? Well, except maybe for 2000.

[QueenBee]

Marco Rubio has already said he will filibuster any nominee that Obama sets forth. Now I am a Democrat, and will vote Democrat, but all the Republican are sure as hell THEY will win the job. Rubio said outright that HE knows HE will win.

[Duchess]

The right is going to do anything they can to block anyone the POTUS tries to nominate while he's still in office.

You're right of course. Republicans don't even know who the nominee may be, yet Ted Cruz has already come forward stating he intends to filibuster any appointee. Without even knowing who it is. Jesus. WTF!

[Duchess]

Marco Rubio has already said he will filibuster any nominee that Obama sets forth.

He's another stupid fucker. BlahBlahFuckinBlah, that's all I hear when he speaks. He sounds like a whiny little kid.

[username]

Marco Rubio has already said he will filibuster any nominee that Obama sets forth. Now I am a Democrat, and will vote Democrat, but all the Republican are sure as hell THEY will win the job. Rubio said outright that HE knows HE will win.

Yeah, they were just as quick to dance on Scalia's grave to say Obama shouldn't select a replacement supreme court justice as Obama was to say he would. I think close to a year without a full court is/will be problematic. But it's all politics. The GOP hopes to hell they win this election and get the opportunity to fill that slot. That's ALL this is about.

[Duchess]

I've just been reading a little about Judge Scalia. One site says he was found dead in repose with a pillow over his head, another site said he was pronounced dead over the telephone and yet another states he had a brilliant mind and was often critical of civil rights.

I've enjoyed reading about the friendship he shared with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Whatta weird and wonderful relationship that was.

[FAHQTOO]

I've just been reading a little about Judge Scalia. One site says he was found dead in repose with a pillow over his head, another site said he was pronounced dead over the telephone and yet another states he had a brilliant mind and was often critical of civil rights.

I've enjoyed reading about the friendship he shared with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Whatta weird and wonderful relationship that was.

I heard the telephone part too. My first thought was...who the fuck declares someone dead over the phone?

[Duchess]

My first thought was...who the fuck declares someone dead over the phone?

Bizarre, isn't it. I've never heard of such thing. You would think it would be standard procedure to at least see the body FFS. I read he was declared dead and there was found to be no reason for an autopsy, yet it was reported that he didn't have a heart attack, simply that his heart stopped beating. How do they know this?

[QueenBee]

On thing I read, which I found interesting. They said a Priest came to perform Last Rites (consider it a last Confession) over his dead body. Now, I realize I have not been a Catholic in a while, but it was always my understanding they were done JUST before death..last confession, as it were, so you can die peacefully and without guilt or sin. ANy current Catholics out there? I know Google is my friend, but lets face it, it is late, I am stressed and do not feel like chatting with Google. So sue me.