Scalia death sparks political debate over seat

Republican front-runner Donald Trump said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should ensure that any Obama nominee is blocked from confirmation.

“The next president must nominate a justice who will continue Justice Scalia’s unwavering belief in the founding principles that we hold dear”, Rubio said in a statement.

Rumors surfaced Saturday that Obama might nominate D.C. Circuit Court Judge Sri Srinivasan – long considered a favorite to get the nod if a seat on the court opened up.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington May 20, 2010.

Ben Carson said the Constitution doesn’t directly address the standing president’s right to nominate, but he said Obama will certainly make a nomination.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said a delated confirmation would be a “shameful abdication of one of the Senate’s most essential constitutional responsibilities”.

McConnell said Obama’s successor should be the one to fill the vacancy.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said he would pick Supreme Court nominees based on their judicial record, rather than apply a litmus test. He said that could avoid appointing justices who make different rulings than the president expects.

Justice Scalia’s death quickly became an issue ahead of the November presidential vote, but there are examples of deceased justices being replaced in an election year.

Scalia’s death means the court is divided, 4-4, between its liberal and conservative wings, and the next justice will decide which ideology will prevail.

But leading Republicans want the new president – who will take office in January – to select his replacement.

After learning of the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton offered their condolences. Echoing that sentiment were Republican presidential candidate and Texas Sen.

Obama was informed of Scalia’s death Saturday afternoon while golfing in Palm Springs, Calif. The president is in California for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit next week.

Unfortunately for Democrats, there is little they can do to force Republicans to act outside of making their case to the public and hoping Republicans buckle to political pressure.

Scalia’s replacement would be Obama’s third Supreme Court appointment – joining Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. “That was an election year and he was confirmed 97 to nothing”.

According to CNN, the possible nominees for the next justice include Sri Srinivasan, Jane Kelly, Merrick Garland and Amy Klobuchar.

The service’s spokeswoman, Donna Sellers, says Scalia had retired for the evening and was found dead Saturday morning when he did not appear for breakfast.

Not all the Republicans said Obama should skip a nomination fight. I just wish we hadn’t run so fast into politics.