How many ways can I tell you how pitiful Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were in last evenings ‘debate?’ Their ‘school yard brawl’ gave the American people no reason to vote for them. Cruz loves to hear himself talk, but makes no sense when his rhetoric is analyzed. Rubio has no reason to talk at all; he knows absolutely nothing about our nation, past or present.

Both TEA Party darlings did agree on one thing.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died yesterday at a ranch in Texas; he was 79 years old. Scalia was the longest tenured Justice, having been appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986. He was also the farthest to the right of the others on the Court.

Cruz and Rubio stated that they believe that President Obama should not appoint a replacement; that should be the responsibility of the next president. Once again, they want everything in Washington their way, and have unrealistic expectations and little knowledge of the workings of the Court.

Hillary Clinton said Republicans who want to delay the appointment of a new justice “dishonor our Constitution.” The Senate should not abdicate its constitutional responsibilities “for partisan political reasons,” she said.

The Court was designed to have nine members which would insure that there would be no ties.

I always promise to tell the truth, and here it is. Right wing extremists want to continue Scalia’s misinformed idea that our Constitution is a staid document. The majority of Constitutional scholars believe that it is a living document which must be interpreted based on the present and not the past.

But this is not entirely true either. For instance; Cruz would alter the first amendment and institute Christianity as our national religion. Both Rubio and Cruz approve of the revocation of the fourth amendment by supporting the Patriot Act and the Freedom Act. Both would repeal part of the 14^th amendment which promises equal protection under the law for all Americans. Both men are homophobic.

Neither of these inexperienced young men would support any changes to the second amendment, although our founding fathers would surely alter the meaning to reveal the changes in weaponry over the 237 years since the Constitution was ratified.

During our next president’s term, both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer may retire. If a Republican is in the White House, he will surely appoint conservatives to replace them. This would unbalance the Court and increase its political involvement.

Although the Court was intended to be non-political, it has become increasingly so. It no longer interprets the Constitution; it slants its meaning to favor one party or the other.

President Obama must nominate a replacement for Scalia as soon as possible. The views of all Americans must be protected. This is an opportunity to insure the elimination of at least one extremist on the panel.

If the polls in South Carolina prove accurate, the only contest will be for second place. Trump is in first place and holds more than a 2-1 lead over Cruz. Rubio is in third, but only by two points.

Will evangelicals insure a second place finish for Cruz? Will they force the same results as in Iowa? In just six days we will have answers, and likely many more questions.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Source

Photo Courtesy of DonkeyHotey

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