US Supreme Court Justice Scalia, 79, found dead, 13 Feb 2016

[ScarlettScarpetta]

The people of the United States elected Barack Obama for two terms to represent them. By yours and any other logic, that means a majority of the "people" trusted him to appoint judges to the Supreme Court.

Technically not true.. The electoral college elects the president and that depends on which states have the most votes and how they use them.

But he is the President for another few months and we will have to see how it all plays out..

What bothers me most is that The justices should not have any political affiliation. It should be strictly based on law and not their own feelings that choose what should stand and what should be abolished.

The fact that we are concerned with the political party of the candidate to me means this branch is failing. They were meant to be the ones above politics to hold true to the constitution.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

BBM for focus

Such as?

No snark intended. Honest question.

Whom do you see as such a candidate, someone close to center that Cruz (again, just as an example) and his ilk would approve of?

Spoiler: It's a trick question. You can't name anyone like that, and neither can Obama. Ilks abhor centrism; it's the right way or the highway.

IMO of course.

So, your question is disingenuous.

 

[bluesneakers]

So, your question is disingenuous.

Does that mean you don't have an answer? Because I'm legitimately curious.

 

[faw720]

JMO, if all this in-fighting doesn't stop, we're going to destroy ourselves from within. I have the advantage at looking at this situation from a different perspective than you younger people. z I was born in 1939 when FDR was president. I have lived & survived 13 presidential administrations. Of those 13 administrations, 7 have been Democratic & 6 have been Republican. So in the grand scheme of things each party seems to get a turn at the wheel. IMO, this is a good thing because it keeps the pendulum mostly in the middle & no radical, right or left, gets to push things too far in either direction. I am an Independent but with a tilt toward Democratic candidates. Not that my votes ever do any good because Texas is so rabidly Republican. However I can remember the days when Texas was totally a Democratic state & a Republican couldn't have been elected as dogcatcher.

 

[jjenny]

Yes they would.

I cannot fathom the hate so many have for this president. Nothing wrong with disagreeing with his policies but so much of this goes far deeper. It's almost like so many republicans seem to think the guy has 'cooties' or something. You can debate whether he ought to refrain from making an appointment. But to argue as so many seem to be that he has no right to do so crosses the line. And to just say that nobody he names will get the time of day is abominable.

Exactly. He hasn't even named anyone yet. They could have at least waited until he nominated someone.

 

[Montjoy]

Exactly. He hasn't even named anyone yet. They could have at least waited until he nominated someone.

Yes, petulant, ignorant, and childish, isn't it?

 

[IzzyBlanche]

So, your question is disingenuous.

I didn't actually intend it that way. It started out as an honest question but my thought process raced ahead of myself so that I didn't notice the contradiction.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Yes, petulant, ignorant, and childish, isn't it?

Oh, it could actually be quite enjoyable to watch, however, depending on whom Obama nominates.

Say the person is a Latino, for example. The Republicans would either have to support the person or further risk alienating Hispanic and swing voters that they will need if they have a chance of taking back the White House.

 

[KaaBoom]

The circumstances of his death are odd.
He was pronounced dead via phone? Coroner didn't see his body.
No autopsy ordered, also family didnt request one either.
Found pillow over his head.
Very strange

I don’t think any of that is strange, except maybe the pillow over his head. It’s actually fairly typical of the way most families handle deaths by natural causes.

 

[La Louve]

While I didnt agree with his every opinion, I think he was brilliant.
The circumstances of his death are odd.
He was pronounced dead via phone? Coroner didn't see his body.
No autopsy ordered, also family didnt request one either.
Found pillow over his head.
Very strange

[video=twitter;699000431293235204]https://twitter.com/JamesVGrimaldi/status/699000431293235204[/video]


Sent via Tapatalk

aha! I was wondering why NPR was reporting today that there were questions about delays in pronouncing Scalia dead.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I don’t think any of that is strange, except maybe the pillow over his head. It’s actually fairly typical of the way most families handle deaths by natural causes.

Mr. Izzy sleeps with several pillows over his head so I don't find that strange at all.

 

[Sulamith]

I used to live in Marfa. I liked this article by Marfa Public Radio: http://marfapublicradio.org/blog/the-trials-of-pronouncing-antonin-scalia-dead-in-west-texas/

The delays might sound weird but probably not to anyone who has lived/lives in that area. I was surprised that an official could pronounce death without actually seeing the body and I thought that all unattended deaths would call for an autopsy. Apparently not in Texas.

Big Bend is beautiful. Not like the ugly desert around Las Vegas.

 

[Tawny]

Oh, McConnell

“Any President’s judicial nominees should receive careful consideration. But after that debate, they deserve a simple up-or-down vote. . . . It’s time to move away from advise and obstruct and get back to advise and consent. The stakes are high . . . . The Constitution of the United States is at stake. Article II, Section 2 clearly provides that the President, and the President alone, nominates judges. The Senate is empowered to give advice and consent. But my Democratic colleagues want to change the rules. They want to reinterpret the Constitution to require a supermajority for confirmation. In effect, they would take away the power to nominate from the President and grant it to a minority of 41 Senators.” (States News Service, May 19, 2005)

 

[jjenny]

Mr. Izzy sleeps with several pillows over his head so I don't find that strange at all.

I never sleep with pillow over my head so I find it bizarre. But I guess at least some people sleep that way.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I never sleep with pillow over my head so I find it bizarre. But I guess at least some people sleep that way.

I think it's bizarre too. And yet--he does it.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Yes, "a majority of the "people" trusted him to appoint judges to the Supreme Court."
But the power is not unlimited. By the Constitution, President's choice is subject to the Senate's advice and consent.

The Senate, elected by voters who trust their senators to advise & consent on POTUS' choices, among other duties under the Constitution. Checks & balances, FWIW.

You are right. But the key words are "advise and consent."

Not "vow to block before we even know who the nominee is."

 

[Fifth Avenue]

I never sleep with pillow over my head so I find it bizarre. But I guess at least some people sleep that way.

Even so, it is strange no autopsy was performed/requested, since it such a high-profile death. Unless they got something to hide.
Since body already embalmed, lots of evidence destroyed


Sent via Tapatalk

 

[imawitch]

I never sleep with pillow over my head so I find it bizarre. But I guess at least some people sleep that way.

Both my son, who is 17, and my husband sleep w/ pillows over their heads..

it drives me nutters

 

[KaaBoom]

Mr. Izzy sleeps with several pillows over his head so I don't find that strange at all.

I agree, I don’t think it’s strange either. But apparently some are claiming that it's evidence of asphyxiation.

 

[KaaBoom]

Even so, it is strange no autopsy was performed/requested, since it such a high-profile death. Unless they got something to hide.

Or unless there is no reason to believe the cause of death was anything other then natural causes. Autopsies are performed in only 8.5% of deaths in the US. Of deaths that I have personally been involved with, the only ones where autopsies were performed, were for purposes of organ donation.