Justice Ginsberg has cancer removed from lungs

[Ben]

If she can just hold on until the first of the year it will open her seat and then that Republican (informal) rule of not appointing within one year of an election will come back and bite them in the ass. When will the politicians ever learn, when you change the rules for your benefit eventually it will benefit your opponents.

bob

And that "rule" could double-screw the Rs. If they don't ram someone through, it will energize the dem base for November to keep another conservative off the court. If they do ram someone through, it will infuriate and energize the dem base into retribution mode. Which is why I am hoping (but see below) she doesn't retire next year

Strategically, I would almost like to see the "ram someone through". Presidents come and go. Maybe there's a Warren in the White House for 4 or 8 years, but there's a conservative in the SC for 20-30 years.

[Perd Hapley]

She's been in and out a lot.

Again, not wishing ill will, but I think she might be retiring, or forced out by health before the next election. Which could be good or bad politically, because it would absolutely energize the dem base to vote for "anybody but Trump". From that perspective, if she doesn't retire before the year is out, it would almost be better that she stay in until after the election.

Non-politically, as I have said before, I wouldn't want to see anyone, whether I agree with them or not, risk their health because of a political ideology. If she's really sick and suffering, she should retire, regardless of political consequences to either side, to have some peace in her remaining years.

I don't see how a SCOTUS seat would energize one side over the other. It sure meant a lot to Trump's 2016 chances, and how Republicans have perceived his first term.

I don't think the Democrats can be more motivated to unseat Trump than they have been the past 3 years. Unless, of course, they managed to find a candidate they all actually believed in.

[Ben]

Unless, of course, they managed to find a candidate they all actually believed in.

That's where I'm coming from on "energized". Dems don't seem to be too crazy about any of the candidates, and status quo, I could see a percentage of them staying home or voting third party/write-in. If we got a conservative justice, I think many of those people would vote for whoever gets the dem nomination.

Much in the same way I was going to do a write-in, but changed my mind at the last minute and went "Trump" because of the SJWs.

[Perd Hapley]

That's where I'm coming from on "energized". Dems don't seem to be too crazy about any of the candidates, and status quo, I could see a percentage of them staying home or voting third party/write-in. If we got a conservative justice, I think many of those people would vote for whoever gets the dem nomination.

Much in the same way I was going to do a write-in, but changed my mind at the last minute and went "Trump" because of the SJWs.

I think anyone who's that worried about SCOTUS is already expecting RGB to retire/die in Trump's next term. Unless she's replaced before the election, it's going to be an issue. If her replacement is a done deal, Republicans will be eager to vote for more Trump, and to punish the Left for whatever nonsense they cooked up against the new justice. Democrats will be just as triggered as they have been since the 11/9 Trumpist attack of 2016

[Andiron]

If you want a fun intellectual exercise,  imagine the Left's reaction to Ginsburg croaking today.  The "impeachment inquiry"  is headed nowhere,  throw RBG going away on the fire... You're welcome.

[zxcvbob]

If Ginsberg retired next year, I would much prefer Barrett, but it would be interesting to watch the dems do their dance if Trump chose Garland. I believe he would go from, "The poor guy the Rs screwed" to "evil old white man". I'd expect stuff he did in the third grade to come to light.

Bingo.  Offer the dems an olive branch and watch them use it to beat on their own.

[Unisaw]

If you want a fun intellectual exercise,  imagine the Left's reaction to Ginsburg croaking today.  The "impeachment inquiry"  is headed nowhere,  throw RBG going away on the fire... You're welcome.

The Dems would still claim that “no president facing impeachment should nominate a Supreme Court justice.”

[Hawkmoon]

The Dems would still claim that “no president facing impeachment should nominate a Supreme Court justice.”

The logical next step would that no president facing impeachment should do anything -- effectively paralyzing the government (or turning it over completely to the nameless, faceless, unelected bureaucracy). The reality is that impeachment is not a conviction, it's the equivalent of a grand jury indictment. Trump has [edit: NOT EVEN] been impeached, and the fundamental rule of American law is that a person is innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Ergo: unless and until Trump has been impeached (indicted) and then tried and convicted in the Senate -- he is legally considered to be innocent. So there is no legal or logical basis for claiming that he should not be carrying out the duties of his office.

[MechAg94]

The Dems would still claim that “no president facing impeachment should nominate a Supreme Court justice.”

For that there actually has to be an impeachment.  A few hearings where star witnesses didn't witness anything doesn't count. 

[MechAg94]

I think anyone who's that worried about SCOTUS is already expecting RGB to retire/die in Trump's next term. Unless she's replaced before the election, it's going to be an issue. If her replacement is a done deal, Republicans will be eager to vote for more Trump, and to punish the Left for whatever nonsense they cooked up against the new justice. Democrats will be just as triggered as they have been since the 11/9 Trumpist attack of 2016

I am thinking along these lines.  Holding SC Nomination hearings would be a good reminder for Republicans as to why they want to vote for Trump.  If the Democrats do another underhanded attack like they did for Kavanaugh, it won't help them. 

IMO, it would be much WORSE for the Republicans if Ginsberg passes away and they decided to wait.  I think a lot of Republicans wouldn't like that.  If they have the shot at another SC Justice, take it.  Don't wait and hope the election turns out okay.  This is a Lifetime appointment. 

[Unisaw]

For that there actually has to be an impeachment.  A few hearings where star witnesses didn't witness anything doesn't count. 

You’re being way too logical.  The same politicians who said “we have to pass it to see what’s in it” and read a fake call transcript wouldn’t hesitate to use any argument if they thought it would keep Trump from picking a new justice.

[230RN]

Hm. Good point.  So now I wonder if all this fake impeachment BS was engineered to create a "facing impeachment" fuss, thereby precluding or invalidating a replacement nomination by President Trump if Associate Justice Bader passes on.

Or just causing trouble for him.

It might well be in keeping with their "anything --anything at all --to screw Trump" lowlife activities.

Hey, they're diabolically clever, y' know.

Terry, 230RN

[Ron]

The Dems would still claim that “no president facing impeachment should nominate a Supreme Court justice.”

The Democrats have held impeachment inquiries into every Republican President over the last five decades or so.

[charby]

The Democrats have held impeachment inquiries into every Republican President over the last five decades or so.

Actually every president since and including Reagan has had some sort of an impeachment hearing. Ford did not have any form of impeachment hearings, so it doesn't expand to every Republican president over the last five decades.

[WLJ]

Actually every president since and including Reagan has had some sort of an impeachment hearing. Ford did not have any form of impeachment hearings, so it doesn't expand to every Republican president over the last five decades.

I seem to recall talk at the time of impeaching Ford. So IIRC it was being considered.

[charby]

I seem to recall talk at the time of impeaching Ford. So IIRC it was being considered.

Yep, you're right

Only months after Gerald Ford assumed the presidency, Democrats in Congress floated the possibility of impeaching him for cutting a deal with Nixon that traded resignation for a pardon. (This little-remembered effort is recounted in my book, The Class of ’74.)

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/465534-why-calls-for-impeachment-have-become-commonplace

[Ben]

I seem to recall talk at the time of impeaching Ford. So IIRC it was being considered.

My personal thought experiment is looking back at past presidents, then attempting to guess at how their terms would have gone if they'd been subjected to the same social media that Trump has been. To a lesser extent Obama, and I think W Bush was probably the early start of social media usurping the 24 hour news cycle.

Remembering the Reagan hate, applied today, the derangement syndrome would have been at least as bad as it is with Trump, IMO.

[WLJ]

My personal thought experiment is looking back at past presidents, then attempting to guess at how their terms would have gone if they'd been subjected to the same social media that Trump has been. To a lesser extent Obama, and I think W Bush was probably the early start of social media usurping the 24 hour news cycle.

Remembering the Reagan hate, applied today, the derangement syndrome would have been at least as bad as it is with Trump, IMO.

I remember almost daily warnings about how Reagan was going to start a nuclear war  and about how he needed to be remove from office before he could. Look at the sudden explosion (pun!) of The End of the World movies that got produced, The Day After probably being the most famous, after Reagan got elected.
Yes there were TEOTW movies before then but it sure seemed like Hollywood put the petal to the metal on them post 82.

[brimic]

I remember almost daily warnings about how Reagan was going to start a nuclear war  and about how he needed to be remove from office before he could. Look at the sudden explosion (pun!) of The End of the World movies that got produced, The Day After probably being the most famous, after Reagan got elected.
Yes there were TEOTW movies before then but it sure seemed like Hollywood put the petal to the metal on them post 82.

I was in middle/high school during the Reagan era, I do remember constant propaganda about how nuclear war was imminent because of Reagan.