For years Republicans have falsely accused President Obama of abusing his authority. In each case they have been sorely mistaken. Today our nation faces a serious problem; a problem which could easily be avoided if the Senate Majority Leader would simply perform the job for which he was elected. He must lead Republicans and conduct a fair and impartial hearing regarding the President’s nominee for the vacancy on the Supreme Court.

Erwin Chemerinsky is the Dean of the University of California Irvine School of Law. He makes the claim that the Senate is abusing its powers.

“I can’t identify any other instance where a Senate Judiciary [Committee] has ever said it wouldn’t hold a hearing,” he said.

Other legal experts chimed in. Leaving a seat vacant for another year would make the Court dysfunctional; basically eliminating the third branch of our government.

Edward Fallone, an associate professor of law at Marquette University Law School, called the Republican blockade an “unconstitutional power grab.”

This effort by Republicans is an effort to insure that the Court remains ‘right-leaning.’

“The people elected President Obama twice,” said Verna Williams, a Judge Joseph P. Kinneary professor of law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. “And I dare say when they re-elected him they knew what his judicial philosophy was.”

For seven years the right wing has attempted to have everything their way, and have failed to deliberate or accept any form of compromise.

The American people have an extremely low opinion of Congress; and it’s well-deserved. However, the majority of the blame must be attached to Republicans.

Mitch McConnell has completely failed his job description. He is not a leader; he is merely another obstructionist. He lacks the desire and intellect to lead the Senate and find ways to pass legislation important to the American people, and now he wants to destroy the effectiveness of the Supreme Court.

Republicans are assuming that President Obama will nominate a Justice who will lean to the far left. I sincerely doubt that will be the case. Several names which have been mentioned are judges admired for their abilities and intentions. At least one of them was confirmed by the Senate as an Appellate Court Judge by a vote of 97-0.

Regardless, our nation cannot wait another year to have an effective Supreme Court. The SCOTUS cannot function with an even number; it needs all nine justices to insure a decision is made on each and every case brought before it.

The reason our government is broken, is a Republican controlled House and Senate. They want your money, but they don’t want to work for it.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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Photo Courtesy of DonkeyHotey

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