Imbolc Maiden Moon
The silly season. Amplified. A Congress that has done nothing but obstruct governance, especially the House of Representatives, now finds the upper house in the news for a stunning decision to avoid their constitutional duties of advice and consent. The Senate Republicans have chosen a politically odd position: we will not hold hearings and certainly not a vote on a new Supreme Court Justice to replace Antonin Scalia.
The calculations involved are cynical. No big news there, but let’s call it what it is. The GOP has had a mostly congenial court for several years with five conservative justices and they’d like to keep it that way. So they position themselves as the people’s champion under the slogan, Let the people decide by electing a President.
I’d say this is a big gamble on their part, on two fronts. First, the Republicans have more to lose in Senate seats up this year than Democrats. This intransigent stand, clearly against Senate traditions, US political history and the Senate’s constitutional responsibilities should hurt Republicans most in the races for Senate. I hope. Second, and even more likely, when Hillary trounces Trump, she’ll nominate a candidate even further left than Obama has. Then, the Senate will be one down publicly after this silly season debacle.
The Supreme Court matters. A lot. And this change will create more conflict as the months roll on.