Okay, let me try to put another spin on things when it comes to a seated senator, representative, or governor. When someone stands in front of whatever judge and raises his hand and takes an oath to represent any position of any state he has obligated himself to that position. On entering the military, a soldier primarily takes the same oath. A soldier cannot simply get up and say that he wants to run for a senate seat while he is still under the contract. Nor can he decide to be a part time soldier and do as he wishes until the time seems right for him to observe his duties. No matter the reason for being missing in action, an elected official is still under the obligation he signed up for 24 hours a day and 7 days a week until his contract is over or nullified. One of the biggest headaches of late was when the latest omnibus bill was shoved through. Paul Ryan said from the beginning of his term that his family was more important than the job and he wasn't going to miss out on his family time especially during the holidays. Everyone wanted to go home and Paul Ryan was ahead of the pack and the U.S. got stuck with a 1,149 trillion dollar disaster. For a soldier, it's God, America, and family. In that order and believe me when I say that there are those who would rather not even have God in the mix. U.S.A. first and above everything else. The rules should be the same for any elected official. If your family is more important, don't run for office. If you want to run for another office while already seated in one, offer an apology while finding a substitute, then resign and go about your business. To me, Chris Christy and Marco Rubio should have to pay back their individual states the entire amount of money they have been paid while campaigning and canned in disgrace for being absent from their sworn duties. A soldier would be given a dishonorable discharge for the same thing our seated officials get away with. I'd best get off my soapbox and I do apologize for going way off topic.
Besides, it would be a conflict of interest for President Obama to appoint a Supreme Court Justice, as many of his own policies are at stake before the Supreme Court, namely his actions on immigration and climate change.
Precisely. Yet another reason he so quickly laid claim to the appointment. One to tick off the Republicans, and two to get his own agendas passed. There's an important one on abortion coming up too.