Supreme Court Nomination - Merged

[SpoonfulOSugar]

In an awkward confluence of events, the White House is announcing that President Obama will announce his Supreme Court nominee this morning at 11.

This while the entire Metro train system is in an unprecedented 29 hour shut-down for inspection.

Is this yet another portent of the apocalypse?

Anyone got guesses on the nominees?

I wonder what the book in Las Vegas is . . . . 

[gustava]

I no longer live in the DC area, but am wondering about the sudden shutdown of Metro.  Could there be threats they haven't made public?

[SpoonfulOSugar]

No, they had another fire like at 4:30 Monday morning.  It was similar to the one which caused a fatality, so this is a safety inspection thing.

I'll dig up the WaPo on it.  It's legit - just piss poor timing.

If I were the WH, I might have sat on the announcement for 6 hours - just because . . . . \

Adding - here's the best article to date:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2016/03/15/8e0b2be4-eae8-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html

[SpoonfulOSugar]

Since Washington cannot keep a secret, multiple sources are now reporting that the President's nominee is Merrick Garland.

Let the feeding frenzies begin!

[bashfulpixie]

Sounds like Obama is forcing their hand with nominating someone who is more a centrist than a liberal.  It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/us/politics/obama-supreme-court-nominee.html

[Shouldabeenacowboy]

Good strategic choice, Mr. Garland was praised by republicans and democrats in the past. It will be a tough one for a republican rebuttal. Meanwhile, traffic this morning was a b****!

[Cleopatra7]

I'm sure they'll find something objectionable about Garland, given how much they hate Obamacare, which is a slightly reworked version of Romneycare, which was originally devised by the conservative Heritage Foundation as an alternative to Hillarycare during the 1990s.

[Imagine20]

They thought Justice Kennedy would be conservative, and he's been a swing voter. Hopefully Garland will lean more left. 

[ShepherdontheRock]

So, his representation is that he has "a broad interpretation of first amendment rights" but tends to side with prosecutors in criminal cases (not surprising, considering his background.)

He has been pro-gun, but also seems to have been pro-environment.

Also "prefers deciding cases on narrow grounds."

Who knows his record on reproductive rights and LGBTQIA.

Seems pretty intelligent, hopefully he'll be more of a Kennedy.

 

[Justme]

The Republicans want to sit on this until after the election. Aren't members of congress up for election, too? Aren't they risking a Democratic control? 

Just a stupid dumb ass move because they "hate" Obama. 

There is a old phrase, be careful what you wish for, you just may get it....

[sparkles]

So what's gonna happen if they refuse to consider a nominee until the next election and it goes to the Democrats? Will hold their collective breath until they turn blue? Leave the court shorthanded forever?

DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!

[Maggie Mae]

Word on the street is the Republicans passed around a not-so-secret memo (not a literal memo, no one uses those anymore) that they would vote him if he was nominated. 

He's a white male, in his 60s. Fox News will call him a socialist. NPR is calling him a moderate liberal. Democrats will call him liberal. 

I'm sure he'll be a nice boring choice. Just like Obama, most people won't get a lot out of his rulings. 

[crazydaffodil]

Mitch McConnell is such a shithead.  They weren't even done at the White House making the announcement and he's up on Capitol Hill giving 100 reasons why they won't vote on the nominee.  "It's the process, not the person."  Well then when Hillary (or Bernie) wins the election in November, I hope they nominate Judge Garland again!

[SpoonfulOSugar]

Fascinating analysis here:

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/who-merrick-garland-meet-president-obama-s-nominee-supreme-court-n539841

Quote

In 1997, Republican U.S. senator and Judiciary Committee member Orrin Hatch championed Garland's appointment to the federal appeals court, saying "his intelligence and his scholarship cannot be questioned."

Quote

"I believe he is not only a fine nominee, but is as good as Republicans can expect from this (the Clinton) administration. In fact, I would place him at the top of the list," Hatch said at the time, according to Congressional records.

Seven Republicans who voted for Garland are still in the Senate. In 2013, he was was appointed the D.C. Circuit's chief justice.

 

[Maggie Mae]

Here's another take on it. (NSFWish, Blood). 

http://www.theonion.com/article/defiant-mitch-mcconnell-holds-merrick-garlands-sev-52575

[SpoonfulOSugar]

56 minutes ago, Maggie Mae said:

Here's another take on it. 

http://www.theonion.com/article/defiant-mitch-mcconnell-holds-merrick-garlands-sev-52575

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.  You should warn a girl.

(Yes, I know it's the Onion.  I wanted funny, not dark humor.)

[Maggie Mae]

13 minutes ago, SpoonfulOSugar said:

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.  You should warn a girl.

(Yes, I know it's the Onion.  I wanted funny, not dark humor.)

Sorry! I added a NSFW warning. 

[Julifornia]

He's an old white male.  They should give him a hearing, at the very least.  I'm interested in his positions on Amendments 1, 2, and 4.  I don't think the GOP side can bank on getting the White House, and at first blush, this guy seems a lot more benign than some of the other alternatives.

[Justme]

It's probably going to be Hillary and Donny. Could you imagine who Donny would pick? Probably Christy since he's so far up Trumps ass only his feet are dangling out..... Hillary would be much more liberal. Perhaps even a female...

[samira_catlover]

1 hour ago, Justme said:

It's probably going to be Hillary and Donny. Could you imagine who Donny would pick? Probably Christy since he's so far up Trumps ass only his feet are dangling out..... Hillary would be much more liberal. Perhaps even a female...

Puhleeeease, do not put that idea into my head before I've had coffee!

We've gotten used to Clarence Thomas starring in The Quiet Man (when he actually said something, after a 10-year bench silence on SCOTUS), it was practically a "Garbo speaks!" moment.

With Justice Christie on the Court, well, it'd be more like The Silence of the Lambs. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2016/03/02/chris-christies-wordless-screaming/

[ShepherdontheRock]

Come to think of it, I think Obama could have done to nominate someone a little more liberal. Then, if Hillary or Bernie won and the dems could take back the senate, the republicans would be rushing to confirm the nominee before the senate and white house could nominate the next Notorious RBG. 

 

[16strong]

4 hours ago, ShepherdontheRock said:

Come to think of it, I think Obama could have done to nominate someone a little more liberal. Then, if Hillary or Bernie won and the dems could take back the senate, the republicans would be rushing to confirm the nominee before the senate and white house could nominate the next Notorious RBG. 

 

I think Obama would have nominated someone more liberal if the political climate were different. As it is, I think he's having fun letting the GOP choose between a centrist, or refuse his nomination and have to suck it up and take the next president's [likely more liberal] candidate.                                                                       

[ShepherdontheRock]

3 minutes ago, 16strong said:

I think Obama would have nominated someone more liberal if the political climate were different. As it is, I think he's having fun letting the GOP choose between a centrist, or refuse his nomination and have to suck it up and take the next president's [likely more liberal] candidate.                                                                       

I just haven't been particularly impressed with his negotiation skills. Then again he's been working with totally unreasonable people who would be against oxygen if Obama came out in support of it. 

I mean, maybe he is really trolling the GOP. I just hope it works out with a better Senate coming out of it. 

[laPapessaGiovanna]

On 16/3/2016 at 6:00 PM, sparkles said:

So what's gonna happen if they refuse to consider a nominee until the next election and it goes to the Democrats? Will hold their collective breath until they turn blue?

They are as reasonable as toddlers

[SpoonfulOSugar]

11 minutes ago, laPapessaGiovanna said:

They are as reasonable as toddlers

It seriously embarrasses me.  I feel like the laughingstock of the world these days.