With the sudden death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin, who should soon replace the conservative Reagan appointee? The President and the U.S. Senate share the responsibility of appointing nominees…whose term is for life. Or they can choose to wait and let the new President in November can decide. Issues: Whoever is chosen will likely face a tough test in the Republican-controlled Senate. Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell says the Supreme Court vacancy left by Scalia should not be filled until there is a new president. On the other hand, Obama has already said he will be appointing the next Justice and is currently researching for his choice. The late Antonin Scalia was a strong Conservative and there has always been an imbalance of 5 to 4 (Democrats to Republicans respectively). **************************************************** Here is how the nomination process works: STEP ONE: The President announces a nomination to the Senate.Nominee’s Paperwork: The nominee completes paperwork concerning finances and personal background.FBI Investigation: The FBI probes the nominee’s criminal history, if any. STEP TWO: The Senate confirms or rejects the nomineeSenate Confirmation Hearings: The nominee is sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Eighteen senators interview the nominee. Topics include the nominee’s qualifications and previous casework. The committee also questions witnesses who support or oppose the nomination.Committee Vote: The committee votes on the President’s nominee. No matter the vote’s outcome, the nominee is generally sent to the Senate floor after the committee hearings.Senate Vote: The full Senate deliberates and then votes on the nominee. A simple majority (51 votes) confirms or rejects the nominee’s appointment. If the nominee is confirmed, the Supreme Court justice is appointed for life.If the nominee is rejected, the President chooses another and the process is repeated. ********************************************************
Maybe voters should decide. Maybe supreme court justices should also have term limits, considering how important a post it is to country and citizens.
There's no time limit on choosing but the problem with waiting is that there are many important issues pending for the supreme court to decide on coming up soon. Obama will "ram a liberal down our throats", as Rubio put it, to take the place of Scalia who was a conservative.
We just might find ourselves surprised by Obama here...he knows to get that Justice approved through the House and Senate he will have to pick someone the Republicans like. Now, having said that....Republicans and Obama just don't work together well at all...so they might just "disapprove" of someone just because Obama picked them first! Sometimes I feel like most of our Government Officials are a bunch of 2 year olds throwing tantrums and not being willing to share nicely. I just want to put them all in time out and let the grownups take over...but then I don't know where to find the grownups anymore.
Here is Biden saying that a Supreme Court justice should not be chosen in an election year. http://www.allenbwest.com/2016/02/v...-biden-from-1992-and-it-hurts-obama-big-time/
The President currently should choose the next appointed nominees for the Supreme Court justice vacancy, because it's his job to do so. Leaving it open and letting the next President choose the appointees is like not doing the job that needs to be done now. If things happened the day of the election, it's a different story, yet the process should get started. It's like your job duties that must be done now when it happens sort of thing to me.
I agree I feel often that the people we call leaders are more about themselves than whats good for the country. They act more like little kids fighting over a ball.
Obama has every right to nominate someone during his term, but the Senate also has a right to delay the hearings or to reject his nominees. Yes, it is politics, and that's what you get when you involve the various arms of government.
Obama's already done enough to fundamentally transform this country. I don't want him choosing Scalia's replacement. I'm sure he'll nominate someone he favors, but I expect that pick to be delayed or rejected, as has happened many times in the past, and if that doesn't happen, I think the Republicans in Congress will be in trouble from the voters.