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I’m surprised. Since when does President Overreach demurely pass on a bold show of executive power in favor of consultation with Congress — especially when Republican senators are vowing to block anyone he sends to them? McConnell will see to it that the Senate doesn’t recess for the rest of the year, no matter how many “pro forma sessions” that requires, in order to deny O an opportunity for a recess appointment. Minor footnote, though: The Senate is in recess right now. It began on February 12, a day before Justice Scalia passed away, and isn’t set to end until...

The sudden death of Antonin Scalia represents a looming disaster for the American people and for the United States. For years the Supreme Court has consisted of 5 conservatives and 4 dedicated leftists. Apart from Justice Thomas, court conservatives have often been undependable at best! Witness the voting record of Justice Kennedy and former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Court leftists, on the other hand, might have phoned in their decisions, given their “tendency” to make rulings which rarely if ever stray from advancing the objectives of the liberal agenda. Obama’s 3rd appointment to the court will provide the American left...

The sudden death of Antonin Scalia, the great conservative Supreme Court Justice, has struck a massive blow to the continued life of our nation. The destructive possibilities for Barack Obama and the Democrat Party, both of whom hate America, are the things we would expect to read about in a political thriller written by an anonymous “insider,” not our daily updates. Consider these possibilities: Of course it’s at the far end of the spectrum, but Obama could nominate himself to fill the vacancy and make the election all about him. He believes he is the greatest president in history so...

Mitch's moderates need to go! Note, Vitter, Rubio and Coats are already leaving.

Things can change fast in American politics. When the sun rose this morning, most any conservation about Supreme Court vacancies would have centered around President Obama replacing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg - the eldest of the court's nine justices and a two-time cancer survivor who will turn 83 next month. And then on Saturday afternoon came the news that Justice Antonin Scalia had passed away while on a Texas hunting trip. With his death, the nation's highest court went from potential sleeper issue in the president election to front and center, kicking and screaming. [Snip] Cruzing For A Bruising. As...

Read it and weep, Democrats. The shoe is on the other foot. David Bernstein at the Washington Post’s Volokh Conspiracy blog:

Senator Schumer appeared Sunday on ABC's This Week and responded to suggestions that the Senate might not confirm the lame-duck President's nomination to replace the late Justice Scalia: "show me the clause [in the Constitution] that says [the] president's only president for three years." True, Presidents serve four-year terms. But here's a question for Senator Schumer: Can you show me the clause that says the Senate must vote on, let alone confirm, a President's nominee? I'll save him the effort: There is no such clause in the Constitution

Washington, February 14, 2016 India-born judge Srikanth Srinivasan favourite for elevation In this September 27, 2013 photo, Sri Srinivasan takes oath as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Srinivasan is among President Barack Obama's likely options as he looks for a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died on Saturday. He was Mr. Obama's principal deputy solicitor general, most notably working on the successful fight against the Defence of Marriage Act. Death of a serving judge of the U.S. Supreme Court has set off acrimonious...

The sudden loss of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia already has the political class buzzing about what comes next. News and analysis moves at lighting speed. The first thing America should do is take a deep breath and celebrate the life of one of the most influential constitutionalist judges in my lifetime. Antonin Scalia was a giant on the Court and he helped change America for the better. However, because President Obama has routinely abused executive power and given the Senate is in recess, it is reasonable for conservatives to fear a recess appointment. Therefore, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell...

Just a reminder the Cloture rules requiring 60 votes to end debate in the Senate still applies for SCOTUS nominees. Yes Harry Reid dropped the nuke for executive appointments but exempted SCOTUS nominees. If 40 GOPers stand strong the nightmare of Obama getting to replace Scalia shall not pass.

God Bless Scalia-A true patriot,defender of the Constitution and defender of the American way. Trump has to be loud an clear...no Obama appointee and if he does NO SENATE VOTE!

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Friday called for U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson to drop out of the race for a Senate seat in Florida. Reid said in a statement that Grayson claims to be progressive but seems to have "no moral compass." He said Grayson used his office to unethically promote a hedge fund that until recently had been based in the Cayman Islands. Grayson is running in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. His campaign did not immediately respond to Reid's call to quit the race. ...

The senators' message to the officer tapped to lead the fight in Afghanistan on Thursday was clear: just tell us how many troops you need, and we'll make it happen. The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that Lt. Gen. John Nicholson would be nominated to take over as leader of U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan when Gen. John Campbell steps down. Less than a day later, Nicholson appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. *********snip********* Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., described problems the Afghan forces have faced over the past year, including a resurgence of the Taliban and the...

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray filed to run for the U.S. Senate Tuesday morning as a Democrat, declaring his candidacy to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul on the day of Kentucky’s filing deadline. Gray, 62, told the Herald-Leader Monday night that he decided to challenge Paul last week and that he “absolutely” thinks he can win despite the state’s rightward lurch and widespread disapproval of President Barack Obama. Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article56605288.html#storylink=cpy

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) caught nearly everybody off guard late Wednesday by quietly clearing the path for new legislation to declare war on the self-described Islamic State -- an issue he'd signaled for months he had no interest in touching. McConnell introduced a sweeping authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, that would give the president new authority to take action against the militant group also known as ISIS or ISIL. It wouldn't put any limits on the duration, geography or use of U.S. ground combat troops in the war, or on the means by which...

There’s no way these media reports are accidental or not directly connected. And none of this looks the least bit good against the larger dynamic of the Syrian crisis and President Stompy Feet’s prior position on ISIS.

RTX22LO4 Why does Ted Cruz, left, make so many references to Cicero, right? And what does that mean for his hopes in the 2016 presidential election? REUTERS U.S.TED CRUZCICERO Ted Cruz's onstage appearance with Sean Hannity was going well. It was February 2015, and Cruz, like all the other GOP hopefuls, was at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, D.C., being lobbed softballs by the Fox News talking head. Hannity was playing a little word game. "I'm going to ask you about three people, first words that come to your mind," Hannity said. "Barack Hussein Obama," Hannity prompted. Cruz...

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr on Thursday strongly denied a news report that said he had told people he would vote for Democrat Bernie Sanders over Republican Ted Cruz. Burr’s aides asked The Associated Press for a retraction. An AP spokesman said the news agency was sticking by its story. “I will support whoever the GOP nominee is,” Burr tweeted. “@AP is trying to create discord where there isn't discord by telling lies.”

Bob Dole, the former Kansas senator and 1996 Republican presidential nominee, has never been fond of Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. But in an interview Wednesday, Mr. Dole said that the party would suffer "cataclysmic" and "wholesale losses" if Mr. Cruz were the nominee, and that Donald J. Trump would fare better. "I question his allegiance to the party," Mr. Dole said of Mr. Cruz. "I don't know how often you've heard him say the word 'Republican' - not very often." Instead, Mr. Cruz uses the word "conservative," Mr. Dole said, before offering up a different word for Mr. Cruz:...

Just one more moment of disappointment from those we work hard so had to elect (h/t Michelle Malkin on Twitter, Tuesday). This is the Senate roll call vote on the radical judge Wright nomination. Note the bend-over Rs who voted yes. @CR pic.twitter.com/e2EpkK41Sm   — Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) January 20, 2016 First to note: Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio didn’t show up to vote (they’re too busy asking Americans for a promotion). Second to note: Even though Senator Rand Paul is also running for president, he made time to show up and vote on the right side. (Nay) Lastly...