Monday, March 21, 2016

A Supreme Court Nomination: A Blinding Flash of the Obvious

A sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice passes away and the President of the United States puts forward to Congress a nominee to fill this vacancy.  The Republican party leadership goes nuts.  "The president can nominate whoever he wants, but the Senate is not going to act, and that's pretty clear," Mr. Rubio said on "Fox News Sunday." "So, we can keep debating it but we're not moving forward on it, period."   The leadership is all lining up with the same rhetoric, Sen. Chuck Grassley, IA, Sen. Ted Cruz, TX etc. etc.  The Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, KY had the audacity to say that we had to wait until a new president was chosen so that the peoples voice would be heard on whom they want to be nominated.  Blinding flash number 1: The people did have their voice heard 3 years ago when our president of today won the election.  Seriously it is like that didn't happen, what a ridiculous statement and certainly one that portents that you are an imbecile.  Blinding flash number 2: The U.S. Constitution is not that hard to understand and presidential powers and responsibilities are enumerated in a fairly simply manner (just because most presidents over the last 100 years have "imagined" more powers exist, doesn't make it so) in this case, Art. II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states ..."and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States"... It really is that simple.  Blinding flash number 3:  What is NOT in the U.S. Constitution is that because it is the presidents last year in office he should just stop performing the duties of the office.  It also says nothing about republicans or democrats or anything else about political parties interestingly enough.  All the party's do is muddy the water.

Blinding flash number 4: It doesn't matter whether you or I like it, that is irrelevant. The president is entitled to and frankly it is his responsibility to the country that dictates he should put forth a nominee. The senate needs to do the right thing and have the hearing on the nominee.  Ask questions, do their due diligence and if for some overwhelming reason the nominee should be lacking then formally reject them with a vote.  If not, confirm the nominee. It is, what it is, people.  You don't like it then vote.


Yes, Sen Chucky Schumer, NY did  the same thing when George W. Bush was president, so what. It wasn't right then and it isn't right now.  This head-long run to Idiocracy must stop.  The time for the public to be heard is at election time, if voices are silent that is our fault and it makes me ill when politicians, R & D, falsely claim to all of a sudden have a conscience, it is nauseating.


I think the public is done.  Done with the way these people do business and that is the bottom line, unfortunately these politicians haven't quite woken up to this fact yet, but they are close to getting there.

So the obvious path for this to take would be to act in accordance with the Constitution and accept the nomination, have a hearing and confirm or deny.  Let's get on with it people.  It is time to grow up and govern.  Maybe this just gets me one more step down the road to Term-Limits, ahh I can dream can't I.