Posted on 02/16/2016 4:14:18 PM PST by SeekAndFind
President Barack Obama respond this afternoon to promises by Senate Republicans to not allow a vote o his nominee to replace recently-deceased pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia. Obama doesn't care about the fact that he filibustered Justice Samuel Alito's nomination in an attempt to prevent the Senate from voting to confirm him, he demanded that Republicans allow a vote on his nominee.
After Scalia's death, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will not take up a vote on a replacement for deceased pro-life Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia until after the presidential election.
Such a promise prevents pro-abortion President Barack Obama from selecting a third pro-abortion Supreme Court justice to follow Sonia Sotomayor and Elana Kagan, both of whom are thoroughly committed to unlimited abortions and upholding Roe v. Wade.
The Washington Examiner reported the comments Obama made in a press conference:
"The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now," Obama told reporters in California. "When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the President of the United States is to nominate someone; the Senate is to consider that someone and either they disapprove of that someone, or that someone is elevate to the Supreme Court," Obama said from Rancho Mirage, Calif., where he was spent two days meeting with leaders of Southeast Asian nations.
"This is the Supreme Court--the highest court in our land," he said. "It is the one court where we would expect elected officials to rise above day-to-day politics, and this would be the opportunity for senators to do their job."
Obama said it's unfair to compare his attempt to deny a vote on Justice Alito, who pro-life groups applauded for upholding the ban on partial-birth abortions, with what Senate Republicans are pledging to do.
"I think what's fair to say is that how judicial nominations have evolved over time is not historically the fault of any single party," he told reporters in California. "This has become just one more extension of politics."
"And, there are times where folks are in the Senate, and they're thinking⦠is this going to cause me problems in a primary, is this going to cause me problems with supporters of mine, and so people take strategic decisions," he said.
"But, what is also true is, Justice Alito is on the bench right now. I think that, historically, if you look at it, regardless of what votes particular senators have taken, there's been a basic consensus, a basic understanding, that the Supreme Court's different."
Democrats will undoubtedly push for the nomination and a confirmation vote for a new left-wing judge.
"The President can and should send the Senate a nominee right away," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said on Twitter. "The Senate has a responsibility to fill vacancies as soon as possible."
The ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee took a similar line.
"I hope that no one will use this sad news to suggest that the President or the Senate should not perform its constitutional duty," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Saturday. "The American people deserve to have a full functioning Supreme Court.The Supreme Court of the United States is too important to our democracy for it to be understaffed for partisan reasons. It is only February. The President and the Senate should get to work without delay to nominate, consider and confirm the next justice to serve on the Supreme Court."
Leading pro-life advocates agree the Senate should not vote on Scalia's replacement until after a new president has been selected.
Americans United for Life PresidentCharmaine Yoest told LifeNews, "His loss is tragic, and we hope that when it comes time for the Senate to vote on his replacement, that a worthy successor who can pick up his banner can be found after the election."
Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel: "With the passing of Justice Scalia, the future of the High Court and the future of America is hanging in the balance. The Senate must not confirm any nominee to the Supreme Court from President Obama. The Senate must hold off any confirmation until the next President is seated. Unfortunately the presidential debates have been more theater and less substance about the real issues surrounding the Supreme Court. The election of the next President has now taken on even greater importance. The future of the Supreme Court and America now depends on the Senate blocking any nominee by President Obama and the people electing the right person to occupy the White House."
One of the names being bandied about today by experts on the high court is pro-abortion Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
GOP approves this appointment and the GOP goes by the way of the Whig Party
Agreed. With 24 seats up, the GOP would get wiped out of the Senate.
Especially since they’d need 17 RINOs to defect to approve any Obama nomination.
rockrr wrote (quotes are 0’s words)
“This is the Supreme Court—the highest court in our land,” he said. “It is the one court where we would expect elected officials to rise above day-to-day politics, and this would be the opportunity for senators to do their job.”
Fine. Nominate a conservative to replace a conservative and prove that you are above politics.
-—good point, rockrr!
Who is Obama preaching to when it comes to the Constitution? This guy has a lot of gull to go on t.v. and preach a sermon before the Justice is even buried.
Leaky Leahy, way back in 2001 when Jumpin’ Jim Jeffords switched parties, throwing the Senate to the Dims, and thus elevating Leaky Leahy to Chairman of the Senate Judicial Committee, infamously said that in his Committee all of Bush’s judicial nominees were “D.O.A.”
Funny how these Dim reprobates forget their own words.
Wheres that poster of obammie the commie that says: OBEY!!
Hello, this is Barack Obama, and today is Tuesday, January 31, 2006. As many of you may be aware, today is the vote to confirm Judge Alito the Unites States Supreme Court. There's been a lot of discussion in the country about how the Senate should approach the confirmation process. There's some who believe that the President, having won the election, should have complete authority to appoint the nominee, and that the Senate should only examine whether or not the Justice is intellectually capable and is nice to his wife, or she is nice to her husband. That, once you get beyond issues of intellect and personal character, then there shouldn't be further question as to whether the Judge should be confirmed. I disagree with the view.
I believe that the Constitution calls for the Senate to advise and consent, that, meaningful advice and consent includes an examination of a judge's philosophy, ideology, and record. When I examine the philosophy, ideology, and record of Judge Samuel Alito, I am deeply troubled. I have no doubt that Judge Alito has the training and qualifications necessary to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. He's a smart guy, there's no indication that he is not a man of good character.
But, when you look at his record, what is clear is that when it comes to his understanding of the Constitution, he consistently sides on behalf of the powerful against the powerless. If there is a case involving an employer and an employee, and the Supreme Court has not given clear direction, Judge Alito will rule in favor of the employer. If there is a claim between prosecutors and defendants, if the Supreme Court has not already a clear rule of decision then, Judge Alito will rule in favor of the state. When it comes to how checks and balances in our system are supposed to operate, the balance of power between the executive branch, Congress, and the judiciary, Judge Alito consistently sides with the notion that a president should not be constrained by either Congressional acts, or the check of the judiciary.
He believes in the overarching power of the president to engage in whatever the president deems to be appropriate policy. As a consequence of this, I'm extraordinarily worried about how Judge Alito might approach issues such as wire tapping, monitoring of emails, or other privacy concerns that we have seen surface over the last several months.
In sum, I've seen an extraordinarily consistent attitude on the part of Judge Alito that does not uphold the traditional role of the Supreme Court as a bastion of equality and justice for the United States citizen, and for that reason, I will be voting against his confirmation. I do hope that if Judge Alito is confirmed, he proves me wrong. I know that all the Senators who will be voting against him ardently hope that the Supreme Court continues to serve the vital role that it plays in preserving our liberties. Thank you very much; I will talk to you guys next week.
So...nominate away. Submit a long list of commies. The Senate can reject them at its leisure.
Congress should just vote that the Supreme Court now has 8 Justices and be done with it.
The senate may vote or may not vote. And, If it votes, it’s on whatever schedule the senate wishes. A president can “bully pulpit” but doesn’t control the legislative branch. ( American presidents are not prime ministers, either). End of story
ok have a vote all the republican need to vote nay!!! oops you lose Zero...
I came up with an idea to solve this. Politician EARN their party affiliation by how they vote. The first time they are elected they have to publish a list of what their view are on, let's say, 10 issues.
Obama’s message to the lapdog media to start putting 24/7 pressure on the Senate to
OBEY!!
I have to believe that on this one even the RINO’s would vote no.
What a pos this animal is!
Obama is not an idiot, he is an Alinsky devotee, He, with the aid of the media, is setting the agenda, and I fear the GOPe will cave in the end.
Will somebody PLEASE tell these dumb SOBS's that we have a REPUBLIC, not a damned democracy.
We are a nation of laws...not of knee-jerk, emotional, feel-good, warm and fuzzy horse manure!
Leahy is an damned fool and so is Obama.
LOLOLOLOL.
Obama emphasized loudly advise and consent in today’s remarks. He doesn’t care about any votes or the Constitution. Nor does he care about any advise.
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.