OPEN THREAD: R.I.P. Antonin Scalia

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court Justice, found dead:

Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead of apparent natural causes Saturday on a luxury resort in West Texas, federal officials said.

Scalia was certainly one of the more polarizing figures on the Supreme Court. One of the most vocal defenders of originalist interpretation, the loss puts the ideological split on the court at a 4-4, and leaves an election year vacancy for Obama with a Republican Congress and two Senators running against each other in the primary.

Consider it an open thread, because there are just so many wrinkles to this breaking news.

Comments

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Am I too fatalistic to think that there is no way Obama is going to actually fill this seat, so that it will just be one of the big fat prizes of the election?

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Cruz and Rubio have both made statements along the lines of "the next President should nominate," so we might be in for a long vacancy.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

And an even nastier, tougher fought presidential election? Everyone knows that the nomination of justices is part of the presidential prize, but it is kind of abstract. This makes it so real. So, it's like pouring petrol on the contest. This is going to burn.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Let the galalaxy-electorate burn!

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Hilarity is going to ensue over the next year. If I was Obama I'd pick a hardline progressive I know the GOP wouldn't nominate and put them in a position to nominate that person in a hurry so the SCOTUS will rule and not pass where it's likely to gridlock or they stonewall and the Dem base gets a cheap and easy motivator that they don't have to do themselves that might well outweigh the stink to come from the Clinton-Sanders feud.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

My gut feeling is that it will bring out the anti-abortioners to the election. Thoughts?

[mikeyxw.livejournal.com]

Or he could pick someone who is kinda leftish-centrist and capable, putting the GOP into a position where they are blatantly playing politics. Such a thing would cost them votes from the middle, which although nobody pretends it exists these days, will become important by the end of the year.

[surferelf.livejournal.com]

His love of country was blatant throughout his 30 years of service. (I remember his nomination and boy, it sure doesn't seem that long ago.) He was also one of the best writers the court has ever seen. Even though I almost always disagreed with his opinions,  I always enjoyed reading them. I have only a few degrees of separation from him, socially.  A friend of mine was a nanny for his grandchildren.  At this time, my thoughts are with his family as they mourn the loss of their grandfather.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

[chron-job.livejournal.com]

West Wing, Season 5, Episode 17.

Anyone think such a grand brokering in that style would be possible? Ginsberg steps down and 2 nominees are put forth, one to appease conservatives, one to appease liberals?