Justice Scalia Dead at 79
With the passing of US Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, the race to the bottom has, within hours started. To me, there is one cogent and overbearingly true fact. The President of the United States is elected for 4 full years. He takes office at 12:00pm on January 20, and ends at 12:00pm four years later.
President Obama should and must put forward his nomination to replace Justice Scalia and the US Senate should and must give that nominee a fair and speedy hearing. That this is an election year, and that this is the most bizarre and worrying political season I have ever witnessed, is irrelevant to the constitutional imperative of the process.
While I can sympathize with the GOP plight in seeing one of the prizes many thought would be at the disposal of the new resident of the White House, fall through their fingers like sand, there is no place in this event for partisan gridlock! The American people elected Barack Obama for a second term and the President should serve all those days and weeks remaining, as President, and nominate a replacement for Scalia as soon as it is fitting to do so!