http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35572479 A champion of the ultra conservatives in the United States died in his sleep yesterday. He was one of the most prominent proponents of so-called originalism - a conservative legal philosophy that believes the US Constitution has a fixed meaning and does not change with the times. President Obama has said he would name a successor, which must then be vetted and approved by the Senate. Since that legislative body is controlled by the conservatives, there is no chance at all that they will even consider any potential successor. They would rather see the country go without a full court for a year in the hopes that a Republican can win the next election. Put another way, Republicans ducking their responsibilities for political croneyism as usual.
Nah... He'll float a lib or two, then nominate a moderate which they will have to take or have no hope in the general election AND put house n senate at risk
Ummm, Obama has never nominated anyone but a moderate. All his successful appointees are moderates. Bill Clinton did the same. There has not been a genuine liberal on the court for a couple generations. What is so whacked is that the conservative side of the court has swung so far to the right that the moderates seem liberal by comparison. But they are moderates. What would be wonderful poetic justice is if the Republicans stall the process until the after the election and if Bernie Sanders were to win. Now he would nominate a genuine liberal. A progressive. That is pure fantasy, it will never happen, but it is pleasant to imagine.
Not being an American I thought Scalia was a fictional character that I saw portrayed in "Boston Legal" http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2014/12/03/a-look-at-justice-scalia-on-the-small-screen/
Boston Legal was priceless as a show lambasting the ultra conservative trends going on during W's years in office. Shatner & Spader were both brilliant as the most unlikely of friends; the Upstanding American Patriot & Conservative's Conservative play by Shatner, and the liberal, progressive thinking character played by Spader. It remains one of my all time favorite TV shows.
Forget the confirmation hearings - the crazies are already in full swing. Scalia's death was no accident, it was a diabolical act of murder by the evil Left to give Obama one more court appointment. Why was there no autopsy? Because it's a coverup of course. I swear there must be something (besides lead) in the water thru-out this country that has turned half the population insane! http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35588937
@wil: Unfortunately, it isn't any different than any other death/"incident" (example: the September 11th tragedy [there are still "conspiracy theorists" claiming that it was actually American PtBs that implemented that,] and the assassinations of JFK, MLK and Marilyn Monroe's death were done by the CIA.) I have the misfortune to know several "conspiracy theorists" irl. Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
