Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 87. May she rest in peace. However, the seat she left vacant on the Supreme Court must, and will, be filled. It’s just a matter of time. Whether that is before the general election in November, sometime after the election, or after January 2021 when Donald Trump’s first term is complete. Ginsburg’s death has most certainly rocked the political community for political reasons and necessarily personal ties to the human being who died.
Donald Trump called Fox News on Monday after Ginsburg’s passing. He vowed to announce a nominee to fill the vacancy that Ginsburg left by Friday or Saturday. Trump actually released a shortlist of potential SCOTUS picks a few days before Ginsburg died. Some say that he was plotting on her death bed but in reality, RBG has been in failing health for years now and at age 87, anyone could have seen the proverbial writing on the wall.
The majority of Republicans and Donald Trump himself would like to see the SCOTUS nominee confirmed and on the court before the November election. Democrats, of course, call foul at this move for a variety of reasons. First, they cite Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s “dying wish” of not wanting her seat filled until after the election. Nevermind the fact that Ginbsurg herself said that Presidents are elected for four years, not three back in 2016 when Obama attempted to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court after Antonin Scalia died.
Speaking of Merrick Garland, Democrats call foul at Republicans who want to confirm the next SCOTUS before the election because of how Garland was treated. Senate Republicans refused to entertain any Obama appointee in 2016 after Scalia. The reasoning was that it was too close to an election. So of course, Democrats are now shouting “hypocrisy”. Scalia died some nine months before the 2016 election compared to Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died at the end of September 2020.
The reality is that the left’s cries of hypocrisy will fall on deaf ears and rightfully so. Because all that really mattered in 2016, as it does right now in 2020 is that Republicans control the Senate. If Democrats controlled the Senate, then they would have most certainly confirmed Merrick Garland and there would be no Neil Gorsuch and/or Brett Kavanaugh.
As a matter of fact, Democrats attempted to stonewall Kavanaugh with baseless allegations in 2018 when they had zero power to stop his confirmation. They just wanted to ruin the man’s reputation. Democrats are in no room to appeal to a sense of morality.
The Supreme Court vacancy will be filled and there is no better time than now, before the election to do so. Mass mail-in voting is going to be a disaster and there will be inevitable court cases that head to the Supreme Court. An odd-numbered court is required to sort these issues out. If Trump attempts to appoint a Supreme Court Justice during a contested election, then the rhetoric from the left will be “election interference.” They’ll say he wants a justice that will rule in his favor to get himself re-elected.
It is unfortunate that Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, but the reality is that the Supreme Court seat did not belong to her. It belongs to the American People. And just like Democrats of 2016 said, the President has the duty to fill the seat. The President, however, is not a king and cannot rule by fiat. There are checks and balances to the President’s power. In this case, that’s the Senate and they have his back. So let’s get it done and move on with our lives.
SOURCES:
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dies At 87 : NPR
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish: Not to have Donald Trump choose replacement
Lisa Murkowski: No Ruth Bader Ginsburg replacement before election
Democrat on Graham video urging people to ‘use my words against me’: ‘Done’ | TheHill
Comments are closed.