Posted on 04/11/2017 5:39:27 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
If Democrats thought it was hard to stop President Donald Trump's first U.S. Supreme Court nominee, it promises to be even tougher for them if he gets to fill another vacancy, potentially to replace the most influential justice, Anthony Kennedy.
Kennedy, a conservative who sometimes sides with the court's liberals in key cases such as on gay rights and abortion, is one of three justices 78 or older. Justice Stephen Breyer is 78 and fellow liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 84.
Former Kennedy Supreme Court clerks said the justice, who turns 81 in July, may be pondering retirement either this year or in 2018.
That would give Trump a further chance to shape the court after his first nominee, Neil Gorsuch, was sworn in on Monday for the lifetime job to replace the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia after overcoming fierce Democratic opposition in the Senate confirmation process.
Kennedy administered Gorsuch's judicial oath at a White House ceremony, and Trump heaped praise on a justice who has spent nearly three decades on America's top court, calling him "a great man of outstanding accomplishment."
Gorsuch is one of Kennedy former clerks. Kennedy is planning a reunion of his clerks in June rather than next year as had been expected. Kennedy, through a court spokesman, declined to comment on his plans.
The implications for the court if Kennedy were to step down are enormous. For the past decade he been its swing vote in major cases. Gorsuch's confirmation restored the court's 5-4 conservative majority. If whenever Kennedy leaves the bench he is replaced by a stalwart conservative, that would move the court further to the right....
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...
I cannot wait for that old communist crone Ginsburg to finally croak.
My observation is people usually don’t die when you expect.
Not “if”. When.
I’m happy to contemplate 7-2. Let the Happy Gyrlz hang out in the local, Lefty safe space.
What “fight”?
1.) Nominate
2.) Nuke
3.) Justice for Life
Kennedy is spent and nerve-wary. The olde fool should go spend his doddering years on a farm with goats and bats and diapers before his master, Beel-Zebub, comes to get him.
Well i have been waiting a long damn time. That much closer.
Chuckie really screwed up by using the filibuster and forcing the nuclear option on Gorsuch. It’s the next fight that will be the big one and he took his biggest weapon off the board.
McInsane will probably still be spouting war points when he is 100.
I’d settle for her retirement.She’s just occupying space in her present deteriorated condition.
Shoot...Trump might get a 2nd, 3rd and maybe one more...
Yep, nominate, 30 minutes of hearings and the vote. No more f*cking charades. Get on with it.
Trump is at bat and throwing himself a slow pitch at the same time.
Bases loaded....
Out of park home run...Grand Slam...
Winning...
So who is next on the SCOTUS pick list? Now that nuke option happened, anybody “severly” conservative Trump should consider
maybe roberts will retire too
Elections have consequences.
IF? Ruth Buzzy will be lucky to last out the year.
So who is next on the SCOTUS pick list? Now that nuke option happened, anybody “severly” conservative Trump should consider
I would like to see Pryor nominated next.
“Kennedy, a conservative who sometimes sides with the court’s liberals in key cases such as on gay rights and abortion . . . “
Kennedy is not a conservative. At times he lapses into sanity (second amendment), but he is not conservative.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.