The War After Scalia

by Ross Douthat

Feb. 16, 2016

http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/16/the-war-after-scalia/?comments#permid=17594323

By refusing to even consider ANY Obama nomination for a Scalia replacement, it seems to me that Mitch McConnell is violating his oath of office to "defend and uphold the Constitution", and thus guilty of an impeachable offense.

The Constitution seems to be to be pretty clear (and Scalia himself stated that his guiding principal in interpreting the Constitution is that it was written to be understood by the average voter), that the Senate has an OBLIGATION to give advice and consent to Presidential nominations. Refusal to even consider such a nomination for "advice and consent" is a clear violation.

It is not surprising the Douthat takes the "scorched earth" approach on this issue. It has become obvious, even before this current crisis, that the Supreme Court is not the scholarly, unbiased final arbiter of Constitutional issues, but that it is just another tool to further the social prejudices of one side or the other. Thus, not only is Congress completely paralyzed by the dogmatic intransigence of Conservatives (shutting down the government is, to them, a valid tool in this dogmatic battle), no they are ready to paralyze the Supreme Court also.

Just one more sign, that the US no longer has a functioning Democracy...

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Democracy-America-Claus-Gehner-ebook/dp/B005...