Last month, Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia passed away. He was one of the most conservative justices on the Supreme Court in recent times. Since his passing, the republican controlled senate has repeatedly stated that they will not even consider a hearing on the eventual nominee from president Barack Obama.
The republicans claim that since it is the last year of the presidency that the American people should get to elect a new president to choose the nominee. The problem with that idea is that Obama was elected to serve 8 years, not 7. If Obama stopped being the president now then people would be very upset by it, okay maybe the republicans would be happy about that. The point is that Obama was elected and has the responsibility to choose a nominee for the Supreme Court.
Once a nominee is chosen by the president, it is the senate's responsibility to hold a hearing and then vote on the nominee. This is what needs to be done if we are going to follow the clear precedent that has been set. Now, if the senate votes and the nominee is not confirmed then everyone has at least completed their responsibility. Then it will fall on the next president and senate to choose and confirm the nominee.
If the situation was reversed (I.e. There was a republican president and a democrat controlled senate) then yes I know they would most likely do the same thing. This does not make it the right thing to do by any means. Politicians over and over refuse to follow the rules and standards that our country has been following for over 200 years. Show some respect for our great nation and at least have the hearing on Obama's nominee.
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