Biden: Leaving SCOTUS Seat Vacant Would Be Like Refusing To Replace Prez

Biden recalled how he consulted with Ronald Reagan when two of his Supreme Court nominees – first Robert Bork, then Douglas Ginsburg – failed to win sufficient Senate backing.

Things got hot for Josh Earnest as he faced questions over President Obama’s decision not to attend Justice Antonin Scalia’s funeral at today’s press briefing.

Antonin Scalia, God rest his soul even though it was corroded like an old auto battery, remains dead, and President Obama needs to pick a replacement on the Supreme Court.

President Barack Obama said he isn’t looking to nominate a moderate to the Supreme Court.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah), who sits on the committee, said he opposes a filibuster to prevent a vote, as some Republicans have suggested. “There are plenty of judges (who) are on high courts already who have had unanimous support of the Republicans”.

Obama spoke as he closed a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders at Sunnylands, a Southern California desert retreat. “I think it’s pretty obvious”, said the Speaker. He added: “The American people are going to make them pay if they jerk the President around on this”.

Wrangling over replacing Scalia came as preparations were ramping up to honor the conservative firebrand’s life and legacy on the court.

Obama dismissed that notion. Justice Scalia died on February 13 during a hunting trip in Marfa, Texas.

She, too, seemed to change her tune on Thursday, taking to Twitter to urge Obama to “follow a tradition embraced by both parties” by yielding to the next president.

The billionaire businessman took the out going president’s opinion as a campaign boost: “This man has done such a bad job”.

Heller said people from Nevada “should have a voice in the process”.

Senate Republicans have said they essentially plan to just ignore anybody Obama nominates and refuse to vote on a Scalia successor.

Mason: Thank you, Mr. President.

SCOTUS Blog, which writes about the Supreme Court, pointed out earlier today that in the past, we’ve managed to fill Supreme Court vacancies during election years. If there’s virtually no chance of Republicans bending, Obama might go another route – picking a nominee who galvanizes support among the Democrats’ liberal base and fires up interest groups in the election year. “The court is now divided on many issues”.