Obama's pickoff play
Published March 17, 2016
by Gary Pearce, Talking About Politics, March 17, 2016.
President Obama’s Supreme Court move was brilliant. He put Senate Republicans in a box the very day they faced up to the prospect of a Trump electoral disaster in November.
The Republicans can either confirm Merrick Garland, a mild and moderate choice by most accounts, or they can take their chances on the next President’s pick.
If Trump is the GOP nominee and a Democratic sweep ensues, then Hillary Clinton picks the next Supreme Court Justice, who wins easy confirmation because Democrats pick up a slew of Senate seats. Like North Carolina’s, meaning Deborah Ross votes, not Richard Burr.
Which leads to my favorite scenario: Clinton picks Barack Obama. Who then serves on the court for, say, 30-plus years. Locks in a progressive majority. And eventually becomes Chief Justice.
March 17, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Richard L Bunce says:
Or the Senate after the election but before the new Senate is sworn in approves the Presidents appointment Would the President or the nominee withdraw the nominees name in that case? Would Democratic Party Senate Minority filibuster the nominees approval and the Republican Party Majority then use the Appeal the Motion of the Chair example from a few years ago to approve the nomination with a simple majority?
