Your Tax Dollars At Work: John McCain Vows To Block Any Supreme Court Nominee from Hillary Clinton
(Pictured: retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens)
From John McCain (R-AZ), one of America’s most revered leaders: I promise you that we will be united against any Supreme Court nominee that Hillary Clinton, if she were president, would put up, I promise you.
This “promise” seems to be equivalent to the statements:
• “In willful disregard of the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Court will have to function with eight members, as opposed to nine, for the foreseeable future.”
• “If we can’t get things our way, we will clog up government until our demands are met.”
• “As childish and ignorant as this may seem, we don’t care about the person or his/her qualifications for the position. If the nomination, regardless of who it is, comes from Hillary Clinton, the answer is no.”
Isn’t this patently unpatriotic? Since when do real Americans openly defy the Constitution and hold the government hostage?
John: We’re still trying to be proud to be Americans, but you’re making it very, very difficult.
The Supreme court is established under article III of the Constitution. There is no mention there of the number of justices that should be on the court.
The number of justices were set to 9 by the most recent statute in 1948: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1
Prior to that in 1937 FDR had a plan to add up to 6 extra judges to the court.
Long before that the Justices were originally 5 then 7 then 9 and up to 10.
The GOP refusing to have hearings to confirm a Judge is just a long line of refusals to do the work of Congress. The amount of legislation passed in the last session is a fraction of what had previously been the norm. Filibusters, another stalling tactic are also up.
When it comes to the work of governing the GOP has become a party that “Just says no” to government. It is a manifestation of the idea that a government that governs least is best. (Unless it is favors to party supporters.) The present congress is on track to pass the least amount of legislation since 1947.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/statistics But the numbers can also be a bit deceiving: http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/23/do-nothing-congress-no-more-2015-senate-amendments-pass-2014
Congress is increasingly becoming a club which only performs one function, get re-elected.
Thanks for the correction. Excellent points all the way along, especially the last one: “Congress is increasingly becoming a club which only performs one function, get re-elected.” Nicely put. And they themselves will admit that. Get elected, then start calling big donors and ask them to support you in two years.
Craig,
What you have written would be true if you had quoted Sen,John McCain in context.
Nomination to the US Supreme Court is solely in the purview of the President and only as safeguard needs to be ratified by Congress.
But had the media reported John McCain accurately, you would discover he was quoted out of context as his spokesperson made very clear;
“”Senator McCain believes you can only judge people by their record and Hillary Clinton has a clear record of supporting liberal judicial nominees with dubious qualifications,” spokeswoman Rachael Dean said. “That being said, Senator McCain will, of course, thoroughly examine the record of any Supreme Court nominee put before the Senate and vote for or against that individual based on their qualifications as they have done throughout their career.”
Not as exciting perhaps, but then if your anxious to be outraged a little of Trumps method of misquoting, seems to be catching!
Nice research Breath on wind
You are dead on all they want to do is get elected and grant special favors to the monied Elite so they can control the masses and the economy and Rig the System for their Masters.
And Gomers do this more than the Dems. And as long as there lots of red voting Morons out there who love putting a Economic Noose around
their Own necks so we all suffer as a result.
Marco again you defend the indefensible – forget the context smoke screen from the spokesperson for McCain. Mc Cain spouted off more idiotic and destructive words with what he said.The challengs facing USA require Collaboration and respect for each side not Blunt Ignorant obstructionism like the GOP has become.
No more qualifying or Parsing of the English Language Calling it out for what it is Obstructionism.
The GOP has strayed very far from its Lincoln Days. The current party is DEVOID of Reality and Real Good Ideas they are spinning in a self imposed Web of Deceipt and Lies and Destructive Public Policy. And they peddle this pablum to the Moronic Masses who slop it up as Pigs at the Trough cause they been dumbed down and have turned against them selves. That is a Clinical Assessment . End of story.
Mc Cain has been on the Stage far too long. Time for him to go. I lived in Az when he was guilty of fixing things along with a few other Senators and we got a S & L collapse . He covered up for the criminal Keating dude now dead rotting in his grave too.
Az economy collapsed and there was lots of Pain all around. Time for McCain to go. I know several GOP types who are not voting for him this time they want him to retire by vote if needed.
He shot his mouth one time too many and he is ineffective no longer relevant as they say!