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The days of compromise and middle-ground are over. There are only two sides now and you are either on one side or the other. Those on your side are your friends. Those on the other side are your enemies.
That's the country we live in. In such an environment, one side will do whatever it can to further its cause. If that includes rewriting rules, so be it. If it means foot-dragging appointments, that's life.
Each side can only do it's best to ensure it's program lives when the other has its turn. But it can never be enough because the other side will change the rules so its program gets through. (Ultimately one side or the other will have to be done away with. That's the only solution.)
Compromise, reason, comity are vestiges of a bygone time. Now, the winner takes all and the loser gets nothing.
The days of compromise and middle ground do seem to be over.
Our country has been divided over race lines and now party lines. The middle lines are gone for many due to the nature of our news media. A person could have voted for Trump simply to block the disaster that was Hillary but now that Trump voter is labelled a red neck, racist, idiot that hates women but loves guns etc etc....
There is much more to it than that but in our modern world of headlines, tweets and flashes of news with no substance coupled with our short attention spans the hateful labels stick.
The biggest problem in DC is that everyone is out for themselves. There are so many that enter office and leave it with fat bank accounts and an inflated feeling of self importance.
The part about serving ones country is all done and the emphasis is on serving ones self.
It would be great if we could go back to the old days when debates were lively and when they were done both parties would go and have a pint together.
McConnell didn't deny Obama anything. Obama gets to make a selection and the senate can then either vote or not. Nothing on the constitution mandates that they vote.
Reid is the one who got rid of the filibuster in 2013 for all lower judgeships. McConnell will just be following in his footsteps. If Reid had a majority in 2016 he would have waived the 60 cloture vote for scouts then, but he was the minority party.
Acting like garland is required to have a vote is partisan politicking at its best.
Like obama said in 08, elections have consequences. Stop acting like only one branch of government matters in scouts appointments. The senate is equally as important as the executive.
I find it amusing that the talking heads always say "nuclear option" instead of calling it what it really is: The Reid Option.
After all, we should definitely give credit where credit is due. Reid IS the one who got rid of the filibuster, so call his rule by his name!
It is really very amusing to listen to the Parties slinging mud without ever giving consideration to where the mud originated! Much of it they, themselves, originated!
Hilarious!
Reading through some if these responses over 10 pages I had a question.
When did the Supreme Court become so political? Shouldn't the judges that are appointed be above partisan politics?
The Dems hate Trump and everything he is about. They must see Gorsuch as Trump's puppet to be this fearful of a guy who is so qualified for the job.
The GOP delayed on Obamas pick to fill the vacated spot in the SC because there was only a few months left of his term. The guy that Obama had picked seemed decent enough and certainly more centered than anyone that Hillary would have put up. The GOP took a real gamble there when all hope seemed to be lost that they would win the WH but that gamble has paid off and America has a chance for a future.
Imagine you Dems, when after the 2018 elections if you keep carrying on the way you are, you lose more seats and the 60 votes is guaranteed to place a truly conservative judge without your help and with no concern to your hindrance.
It is ridiculous that everything today has to come down to party lines. Is this the Dems policy for the next 4 years, to block everything that comes from Trump? Talk about Petty Politics.
It is hard to pinpoint when the appointment of Justices become overtly 'political'. After all, when Justice Abe Fortas retired, the Senate rejected two men, in succession, put up by Nixon.
Indeed, Nixon had quite a bit of trouble with the Senate in judicial appointments, in that he was not above nominating men that were obviously not qualified to serve (including political hacks). In those days, you had both Democrats and Republicans object to such nominees, although one must recall that you had 'liberal' and 'conservative' Democrats and Republicans, so one should not be consumed by the party label.
However, I feel that the process (particularly for the Supreme Court) became truly politicized with President Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork. Judge Bork was a rather odd duck in some ways, but obviously a brilliant man. Senator Ted Kennedy led the charge against Bork, and the other Democrats (and several Republicans) joined to deny Bork the nomination. One reason (among many) was Bork's role in the Nixon administration (Saturday Night Massacre). Bork was also very frank during the Senate hearings about his beliefs and how he would rule on cases (he was of the opinion that there was no Constitutional right to privacy, for instance, which is the cornerstone of Roe v. Wade).
Indeed, I believe that Mr. Bork's frankness during the confirmation process is a big reason that subsequent nominees refuse to be specific on how they feel they would rule on various issues. It does not pay.
But every time a Republican talks about "unprecedented obstruction" I just want to scream "Merrick Garland!" in their face.
Please realize that Obama never in a million years thought Merrick Garland would be appointed. If he thought there was a chance, he would have nominated someone more in the mold of Sonia Sotomayor. No, he put Merrick Garland's name out there so you guys could be outraged for the next few years. Let's be honest here.
Please realize that Obama never in a million years thought Merrick Garland would be appointed. If he thought there was a chance, he would have nominated someone more in the mold of Sonia Sotomayor. No, he put Merrick Garland's name out there so you guys could be outraged for the next few years. Let's be honest here.
To me the Democrats are playing a dangerous game. As far as I have seen; they have nothing really against the man. OK; so maybe they want to spite Trump or the Republicans - but the odds are that Gorsuch will be our next SCOTUS. Now, even if he was always a fair and honest judge; would he rule in the Democrats favor after so many did not want him to have the job? My feeling is, in cases that are very close; that it would be reasonable to assume that he would take the side of those that backed him. I think they are only hurting themselves.
Gorsuch conduct during his hearing was unacceptable. Refusing to answers Senators questions was downright unprofessional and scripted. Gorsuch is a JOKE and should NOT be confirmed.
With all the obstruction Obama faced with the Republicans, do you really think he didn't foresee what would happen? Like him, or not, I'll be the first to admit Obama is not a stupid man. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was also aware of the precedent set with not having hearings at the end of a president's term.
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