Control of Congress

[knapplc]

This is likely a large reason why Republicans are getting close to losing their grip on Congress:

 

 

[TGHusker]

This is likely a large reason why Republicans are getting close to losing their grip on Congress:

 

 

at this point the repubs would be better to approve Obama's choice as he is better than any Hillary would nominate. the repubs cannot be stonewalling for 4 years unless they hope to 'Bork' a Clinton nominee - get her to eventually nominate a "James Kennedy' type (Reagan's big mistake after getting Borked).

[QMany]

 

This is likely a large reason why Republicans are getting close to losing their grip on Congress:

 

 

at this point the repubs would be better to approve Obama's choice as he is better than any Hillary would nominate.

I've been suggesting this for months. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

[Moiraine]

IMO it's an act of war to block a president's nominee for 4 years. It trashes the whole system and how it's supposed to work.

[BigRedBuster]

[Whistlebritches]

IMO it's an act of war to block a president's nominee for 4 years. It trashes the whole system and how it's supposed to work

 

There's really no reason for them to not block it for 4 years. They aren't going to get held accountable in the mid-terms because Dems don't show up to vote unless there is a President on the ballot.

[zoogs]

There's also no sign that the electorate will punish them for this at the congressional level. Maybe the Senate. And maybe they will -- we'll certainly have to see.

 

I suspect it will be rather like Trump's concession. The Republicans will eventually confirm *somebody* and make themselves goshdarn heroes for it.

[Danny Bateman]

 

IMO it's an act of war to block a president's nominee for 4 years. It trashes the whole system and how it's supposed to work

 

There's really no reason for them to not block it for 4 years. They aren't going to get held accountable in the mid-terms because Dems don't show up to vote unless there is a President on the ballot.

 

Gerrymandering and the inability for the Democratic party to turnout voters to midterms has destroyed any accountability for GOP lawmakers. It's such a maddening situation.

[Moiraine]

 

 

IMO it's an act of war to block a president's nominee for 4 years. It trashes the whole system and how it's supposed to work

 

There's really no reason for them to not block it for 4 years. They aren't going to get held accountable in the mid-terms because Dems don't show up to vote unless there is a President on the ballot.

It's illegal for them to block it and gives the executive and judicial branches reason to disband the legislative branch for failing utterly to do what is required of them.

 

Is that what we want? Probably not.

[zoogs]

I don't know about illegal: http://thefederalist.com/2016/10/26/senate-refuse-confirm-hillary-clintons-judicial-nominees/

 

 

As a matter of constitutional law, the Senate is fully within its powers to let the Supreme Court literally die out.

The question seems more to be whether or not this is politically tenable. As Shapiro points out, voters appear to have looked at what the GOP has done and decided it was basically acceptable. (As a side note, I can't say this article has raised my opinion of Ilya Shapiro).

[Moiraine]

I don't know about illegal: http://thefederalist.com/2016/10/26/senate-refuse-confirm-hillary-clintons-judicial-nominees/

 

 

As a matter of constitutional law, the Senate is fully within its powers to let the Supreme Court literally die out.

The question seems more to be whether or not this is politically tenable. As Shapiro points out, voters appear to have looked at what the GOP has done and decided it was basically acceptable. (As a side note, I can't say this article has raised my opinion of Ilya Shapiro).

 

 

 

I stand corrected, however:

 

 

 

About Recess Appointments

 

Presidents may and have also placed justices on the Supreme Court using the often-controversial recess appointment process.

Whenever the Senate is in a recess, the president is allowed to make temporary appointments to any office requiring Senate approval, including vacancies on the Supreme Court, without the Senate's approval.

 

Persons appointed to the Supreme Court be a recess appointment are allowed to hold their positions only until the end of the next session of Congress – or for a maximum of two years. In order to continue to serve afterwards, the nominee must be formally nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

[HuskerNation1]

GOP already has house and will keep the Senate. Won Indiana seat which was a surprise, just won Wisconsin, and WV Senator Joe Manchin has said he will become a Republican if its a 50/50 tie.