Justice Antonin Scalia Has Died At Age 79

[beourbud]

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/2/13/justice-antonin-scalia-has-died-at-age-79.html

 

U.S.PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS / AP

Justice Antonin Scalia has died at age 79

Death of leader of Supreme Court's conservative wing sets up showdown between President Obama and GOP-controlled Senate

February 13, 2016 5:12PM ET

Conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died, setting up a major political showdown between President Barack Obama and the Republican-controlled Senate over who will replace him just months before a presidential election.

 

"On behalf of the court and retired justices, I am saddened to report that our colleague Justice Antonin Scalia has passed away," Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement on Saturday, calling Scalia, 79, an "extraordinary individual and jurist."

 

Scalia's death was first reported by the San Antonio News-Express, who said he had apparently died of natural causes while visiting a luxury resort in West Texas.

 

Appointed to the top U.S. court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, Scalia was known for his strident conservative views and theatrical flair in the courtroom.

 

Obama, who is traveling in California, extended his condolences, and the White House said he would have more to say about Scalia's death later on Saturday.

 

The U.S. president will face a stiff battle to win confirmation of a nominee to replace the dead jurist, with Republicans likely to delay in the hope that one of their own wins the November election.

 

Obama could tilt the balance of the nation's highest court, which now consists of four conservatives and four liberals, if he is successful in pushing his nominate through the Senate confirmation process. Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy sometimes joins with the liberals on high profile issues, including gay rights and the death penalty.

 

"Justice Scalia was an American hero. We owe it to him, and the nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next president names his replacement," Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican presidential candidate, said on Twitter.

 

The court is set to decide its first major abortion case in nearly 10 years as well as key cases on voting rights, affirmative action and immigration.

 

Scalia's replacement would be Obama's third appointment to the nine-justice court.

 

Obama's first two appointments to the court, liberals Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and Elena Kagan in 2010, both experienced relatively smooth confirmation hearings in the Senate, which was then controlled by Democrats. Sotomayor was approved by a 68-31 vote and Kagan by 63-37.

 

The battle over Scalia's replacement will be different, with Republicans now in charge of the Senate and keen to exert their influence over the process. Obama is likely to be forced into picking a moderate with little or no history of advocating for liberal causes.

 

Other factors the White House is likely to consider is whether to nominate a woman or a member of a minority group, or someone who fits into both categories.

 

Among those mentioned within legal circles as potential nominees are Sri Srinivasan, an Indian-American judge who has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since May 2013, and Jacqueline Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American who has been a judge on the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since May 2012.

 

Paul Watford, a black judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who was appointed in May 2012, and Jane Kelly, a white woman and former public defender who has served on the St. Louis, Missouri-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since April 2013, also have been touted as possible nominees.

Edited February 13, 2016 by beourbud

[GregS]

It is President Obama's Constitutional prerogative to appoint Scalia's replacement. The action in the Senate will be pretty wild. Strange how Republicans insist on following it to the letter, until they don't.

Edited February 13, 2016 by GregS

[mibrains]

i vote for Micheal Komorn....

 

[t-pain]

good riddance to bad rubbish.

 

scalia has been pro-police state in every opinion.

 

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/scalia-worst-things-said-written-about-homosexuality-court

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/06/19/415701069/justice-scalia-and-the-age-of-humanity

 

yeah i'm going to post ill of the dead, flower this guy!

 

seriously, he defended TORTURE

 

http://time.com/3632108/torture-report-antonin-scalia/

 

TORTURE.

 

[matt79]

Im with t pain. Good riddance. Scalia was an ahole

[suneday11]

Rip to the family. Good riddance to the textualist legal approach.

[Restorium2]

good riddance to bad rubbish.

 

scalia has been pro-police state in every opinion.

 

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/scalia-worst-things-said-written-about-homosexuality-court

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/06/19/415701069/justice-scalia-and-the-age-of-humanity

 

yeah i'm going to post ill of the dead, flower this guy!

 

seriously, he defended TORTURE

 

http://time.com/3632108/torture-report-antonin-scalia/

 

TORTURE.

 

Because it was not cruel and unusual punishment, just torture. So if you are doing it as anything but a punishment the constitution doesn't apply. The constitution doesn't apply to everything, just what the judges want it to apply to, selectively. That's why it's so important to pick the right judge. These days it's the most important thing a president does. So it is awesome to have this opportunity arise while we have a (D) president. This is going to be a political war. And it's all the more reason to have a (D) president next too because this war could last years. Some day we will ask the court if legal marijuana is constitutional, or illegal marijuana is unconstitutional. We want judges that say the constitution applies to our right to our choice of medicine and it's part of our most basic rights outlined in the constitution. Certainly Scalia would have ducked and covered again just like with the torture issue. His time has come and gone, RIP or not, you reap what you sow. May God have mercy on his soul. 

[beourbud]

If the repubs block President Obama's nominee for Supreme Court, Barack Obama will be the Next SCJ .

 

Winning!

Edited February 14, 2016 by beourbud

[suneday11]

Special condolences to Ginsburg. This will surely impact her greatly.

[matt79]

Expect the repubs to block any nomination b4 the election, and if the senate doesnt flip expect them to block any nomination after the election

[medmanmike]

If the repubs block President Obama's nominee for Supreme Court, Barack Obama will be the Next SCJ .

Winning!

How so? Or are you being facetious?

[beourbud]

Just the whispers I have been hearing.

 

It is not out of the realm of possibility .

 

If congress is going to flip it will take our vote.

 

Vote, it's all we got.

 

President Bernie Sanders, SCJ Barack Obama and Attorney General Michael Komorn

 

We Can Do This!

Edited February 14, 2016 by beourbud

[medmanmike]

Just the whispers I have been hearing.

It is not out of the realm of possibility .

If congress is going to flip it will take our vote.

Vote, it's all we got.

President Bernie Sanders, SCJ Barack Obama and Attorney General Michael Komorn

We Can Do This!

Ok, you guarantee me the latter two and I'll vote for Bernie! LOL!

 

Seriously, I'm beginning to warm to Bernie, but my concern is can he win the general election IF an establishment R candidate is nominated?

[zachw]

good riddance to bad rubbish.

 

scalia has been pro-police state in every opinion.

 

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/scalia-worst-things-said-written-about-homosexuality-court

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/06/19/415701069/justice-scalia-and-the-age-of-humanity

 

yeah i'm going to post ill of the dead, flower this guy!

 

seriously, he defended TORTURE

 

TORTURE.

 

(you tube videos deleted in reply)

 

 

"scalia has been pro-police state in every opinion." 

 

Every opinion? Me thinks not.

 

He sided in a 5 justice majority to allow flag burning.

 

He voted against blanket strip searches and DNA collecting of arrestees.

 

He is pro Gun rights.

 

None of which are "pro-police state" opinions.

Edited February 15, 2016 by zachw

[beourbud]

People are so sick of establishment politics ,that's why trump and Bernie lead the polls in spite of the establishment candidates/party.

 

Who do the repubs have that could beat either Bernie or Hillary? Notta.

The only thing that troupe lacks is the Clown Car.

 

We the People want those establishment candidate puppets to stick their superpacs up they azz.

 

Bernie is the People's Choice, No Superpac support, Consistant across a 30 year career and the purveyor of what We the People are looking for....A Political Revolution

 

We Hoped for Change Long Enough!

 

It is time to Make that Change.

 

Bernie Sanders 2016

 

Vote Michigan Presidential Primary. March. 8

Edited February 15, 2016 by beourbud

[t-pain]

i think after the other candidates drop out and trump gets the nom, he will get more support, enough to rival hillary or bernie.

 

enough to win, no idea. the last 4 presidential elections have been too close to call.

[MedicatedJester]

I read an interesting article this weekend that said the Conservatives are kinda screwed on this one.  The reason being is that a tie in the SC essentially defaults back to the lower court ruling with no precedence being set.  Obama has had a lot of opportunity to fill the lower courts with more liberal judges, so the general thought is that a split SC benefits liberals.

 

So, even if they win the presidency and control the senate, there is some thought the Dems might filibusterer to just keep it a split court.

 

Either way, this is going to be interesting to watch,

[GregS]

Republican whining that we need to wait until after the November election so the people can have a say in the issue rings hollow. The people elected President Obama twice. He has every authority and prerogative to choose.

[GregS]

I read an interesting article this weekend that said the Conservatives are kinda screwed on this one.  The reason being is that a tie in the SC essentially defaults back to the lower court ruling with no precedence being set.  Obama has had a lot of opportunity to fill the lower courts with more liberal judges, so the general thought is that a split SC benefits liberals.

 

So, even if they win the presidency and control the senate, there is some thought the Dems might filibusterer to just keep it a split court.

 

Either way, this is going to be interesting to watch,

Just read that this morning. Game on!

[GregS]

How so? Or are you being facetious?

 

If the repubs block President Obama's nominee for Supreme Court, Barack Obama will be the Next SCJ .

 

Winning!

i've read that he does not want it, and wants to get the hell away from DC. Who can blame him? but it sure would be nice.

[Restorium2]

I read an interesting article this weekend that said the Conservatives are kinda screwed on this one.  The reason being is that a tie in the SC essentially defaults back to the lower court ruling with no precedence being set.  Obama has had a lot of opportunity to fill the lower courts with more liberal judges, so the general thought is that a split SC benefits liberals.

 

So, even if they win the presidency and control the senate, there is some thought the Dems might filibusterer to just keep it a split court.

 

Either way, this is going to be interesting to watch,

 

 

Right. And some of it is going to be....wait for it..... retroactive. Like the labor union decision. 

Edited February 15, 2016 by Restorium2

[t-pain]

yeah , pretty sure obama does not want to be scj. but he doesnt really honestly look like he wanted to be president either. hes a weird guy.

 

am i wrong? anyone read his book? maybe i'm wrong.

[Wild Bill]

If Trump gets in maybe he'll appoint Arnold Schwarznegger or one of the Kardashian's!

[t-pain]

I think he'd make a great Justice, especially with Bernie Sanders as president. I think he must intend on more public service in the future.

can you name me a single other president who stayed in public service after his presidential term ended?

[Restorium2]

can you name me a single other president who stayed in public service after his presidential term ended?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_United_States_presidents_who_ran_for_office_after_leaving_the_presidency