Historian Debunks Each Justification Senate Republicans Employed to Resist Obama's SCOTUS Appointee's Confirmation
In a recent op-ed, a GOP Senator expressed concerns about a Democratic president nominating a Supreme Court justice while the Senate remains Republican. However, a historian has responded with a rebuttal, highlighting some misconceptions and inaccuracies in the Senator's argument.
The historian, Matthew McIntosh, an administrator, begins by addressing the Senator's claim that the Senate has never confirmed a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy this late in a term-limited president's time in office. McIntosh counters this assertion, reminding the Senator of President Lyndon B. Johnson's nomination of Abe Fortas in 1968, which occurred under similar circumstances.
McIntosh also disputes the Senator's claims about President Obama opposing two nominees of former President George W. Bush and exceeding constitutional authority. The historian argues that all Supreme Court vacancies are created equal, regardless of who the president is replacing.
The historian also criticizes the Senator for getting American history wrong, specifically regarding the confirmation of Supreme Court nominees late in a president's term. McIntosh reminds the Senator that the electorate decisively elected Obama as president in 2012, and he should not be restricted to nominating justices with whom he agrees.
McIntosh further criticizes the Senator for using the current election's nastiness as an excuse not to do his job. The historian points out that the Senate still did its job during one of the most contentious election years in American history.
The historian also disputes the excuses given by the GOP for refusing to consider President Obama's nominee. McIntosh urges Republicans to stop acting like "cowards" and to make a substantive argument against the nominee if they choose to vote against him.
In addition, the historian criticizes Justice Antonin Scalia for being easily swayed by gifts and for writing dissents that were more like temper tantrums. McIntosh accuses the Senator of escalating the politicization of the confirmation process to an unprecedented height this time around.
McIntosh concludes by suggesting that the Republicans' obstruction is a desperate attempt to hold onto a Supreme Court majority. He urges Senate Republicans to accept the political consequences of their vote against the nominee and to do their job in confirming a qualified candidate.
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