Within an hour of the announcement on Friday that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had suffered yet another health scare — this time, radiation treatment for a cancerous pancreatic tumor — discussion commenced on the topic of a potential fight over the eventual replacement for the long-serving 86-year-old jurist.
Democratic political strategist and former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, David Axelrod, took to Twitter to warn that any hypothetical effort by the Republican-led Senate to fill Ginsburg’s potentially vacant seat in an election year would “tear this country apart.”
Bracing for a fight
Axelrod, who has surprisingly served as something of a voice of reason as his party shifts ceaselessly toward the left, nevertheless reverted to irrational fear-mongering — though likely with a hint of truth, unfortunately — in predicting a disastrous political fight if efforts were made to fill Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court in 2020.
The former Obama adviser tweeted, “If there is a SCOTUS vacancy next year and @senatemajldr carries through on his extraordinary promise to fill it-despite his own previous precedent in blocking Garland-it will tear this country apart.”
The Washington Examiner reported that Axelrod’s commentary referenced remarks made by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in May, as well as the manner in which McConnell blocked consideration of Obama-nominated Judge Merrick Garland to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in 2016.
Apples and oranges
With respect to McConnell’s recent remarks about the potential to address a hypothetical vacancy in the 2020 election year, McConnell said, “Oh, we’d fill it.” That comment didn’t sit well with Democrats that are still smarting over McConnell’s refusal to even consider, much less hold confirmation hearings, for Garland when he was nominated to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
But McConnell has explained how the situations surrounding the 2016 vacancy and a potential 2020 vacancy are vastly different, and therefore lend themselves to disparate treatment.
In the case of Garland, his nomination was made by a lame-duck, term-limited president in his final year at a time when the Senate, the body tasked with providing “advice and consent” on Supreme Court nominees, was under the control of the opposition party.
The situation would be starkly different for a vacancy in 2020, however, as any prospective nominee would be put forward by a president seeking re-election at a time when his party also controls the Senate.
Sad, but true
Democrats have either refused to accept, or simply don’t understand, the nuanced differences in the two scenarios, and given the manner in which Democrats fought against the nominations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — both to fill seats vacated by Republican-appointed jurists — the fight over who will fill a previously Democrat-appointed seat will be that much more contentious.
Unfortunately, Axelrod is probably correct that an attempt to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in 2020 — especially if that vacancy is Ginsburg’s seat — will “tear this country apart.”
The sad reality is that angry Democrats unable to accept the reality that “elections have consequences” will be the ones lashing out and disrupting the country with yet another prolonged temper tantrum over political differences.
375 Responses
It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you few interesting things or tips. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I want to read more things about it!
whoah this blog is fantastic i love reading your articles. Keep up the good work! You know, a lot of people are searching around for this information, you can aid them greatly.
Its really a great and helpful piece of information. Im glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
whoah this blog is excellent i love reading your posts. Keep up the good work! You know, lots of people are looking around for this information, you can aid them greatly.
Fantastic blog you have here but I was curious if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics talked about here? I’d really like to be a part of group where I can get feedback from other experienced individuals that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Bless you!
Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, you might be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will come back sometime soon. I want to encourage you continue your great posts, have a nice morning!
Appreciating the commitment you put into your site and detailed information you offer. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed material. Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
It is actually a nice and useful piece of information. I am happy that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
Great post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Extremely useful info specially the last part 🙂 I care for such information much. I was seeking this particular information for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.
Heya i am for the primary time here. I came across this board and I find It truly helpful & it helped me out much. I hope to give one thing again and aid others like you aided me.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again very soon!
Great work! This is the type of info that should be shared around the net. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher! Come on over and visit my website . Thanks =)
whoah this blog is great i love reading your articles. Keep up the great work! You know, lots of people are searching around for this information, you can help them greatly.
I take pleasure in, cause I found exactly what I used to be having a look for. You have ended my 4 day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
I used to be more than happy to seek out this web-site.I needed to thanks in your time for this excellent read!! I definitely enjoying each little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you blog post.
Excellent goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too great. I actually like what you have acquired here, certainly like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it wise. I cant wait to read far more from you. This is actually a great website.
you’re really a good webmaster. The site loading speed is amazing. It seems that you are doing any unique trick. Furthermore, The contents are masterwork. you’ve done a great job on this topic!
Very nice article and straight to the point. I am not sure if this is really the best place to ask but do you folks have any ideea where to employ some professional writers? Thank you 🙂
I have not checked in here for a while because I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
I am really impressed along with your writing skills as well as with the format for your weblog. Is this a paid subject matter or did you modify it your self? Either way keep up the nice high quality writing, it is uncommon to see a nice blog like this one these days..
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your weblog? My blog is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors would really benefit from some of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this alright with you. Many thanks!
Ive read some just right stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how a lot attempt you put to make this sort of fantastic informative site.
I’m curious to find out what blog platform you have been using? I’m experiencing some minor security issues with my latest website and I’d like to find something more safeguarded. Do you have any solutions?
Ive been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this website. Studying this info So im glad to convey that I’ve an incredibly good uncanny feeling I came upon just what I needed. I so much surely will make certain to do not forget this web site and give it a glance on a constant basis.
you may have an excellent blog here! would you wish to make some invite posts on my blog?
Hi! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us beneficial information to work on. You have done a marvellous job!
I just couldn’t go away your site before suggesting that I actually enjoyed the standard info an individual provide in your guests? Is going to be again continuously in order to investigate cross-check new posts
I get pleasure from, lead to I discovered just what I used to be having a look for. You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
เว็บพนันออนไลน์
Good day very cool site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds alsoI am glad to search out numerous helpful information here within the publish, we’d like develop extra strategies on this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
Its actually a great and useful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Hi my loved one! I want to say that this post is awesome, great written and include almost all vital infos. Id like to peer more posts like this .
Hi there, I discovered your site via Google whilst searching for a related matter, your web site came up, it appears great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hey! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!
As a Newbie, I am constantly exploring online for articles that can benefit me. Thank you
Greetings! I know this is kinda off topic nevertheless I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog post or vice-versa? My site covers a lot of the same topics as yours and I think we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Superb blog by the way!
Heya im for the primary time here. I came across this board and I in finding It really helpful & it helped me out much. I hope to provide one thing back and help others such as you aided me.
Hello there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group? There’s a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Thank you
Great work! That is the type of information that should be shared across the net. Shame on the seek engines for no longer positioning this submit upper! Come on over and talk over with my web site . Thanks =)
It is best to take part in a contest for probably the greatest blogs on the web. I’ll suggest this web site!