Welcome to Buster's Blog

Irregular commentary on whatever's on my mind -- politics, sports, current events, and life in general. After twenty years of writing business and community newsletters, fifteen years of fantasy baseball newsletters, and two years of email "columns", this is, I suppose, the inevitable result: the awful conceit that someone might actually care to read what I have to say. Posts may be added often, rarely, or never again. As always, my mood and motivation are unpredictable.

Buster Gammons















Monday, February 22, 2016

The Definition Of Stupid


A friend called the office of Sen. Robbie Portman (R-OH) to ask about the Senator's position on filling the vacancy on the Supreme Court.  He already knew the answer.  Scalia's carcass was barely cold when Portman publicly joined the chorus of Republicans calling on President Obama to do nothing and make no appointments.  My friend just wanted to hear what silly stuff Robbie's staff would say.

"Yep, that's all I got."
The staffer dutifully regurgitated the party line:  "Sen. Portman believes it would be best to wait for the next president to make the appointment."  Why's that?  "Because that's the way it's traditionally been handled."

Complete and total bullshit!  My friend informed the staffer that a Supreme Court appointment in the final year of a president's term has occured 6 times before, and that a Justice has been confirmed in an election year 14 times before!

At that point, all the staffer could do was offer to recite Portman's entire official statement on the matter.  "Well, that is the Senator's position.  Shall I read you his statement?"

No thanks.


Congressional Republicans agreed on their big strategy years ago, before Barack Obama set foot in the Oval Office -- no deals, no negotiations, no compromises, ever, on anything.  If Obama was for it, they'd be against it.  They would sabotage, oppose and obstruct at any cost.  They'd filibuster repeatedly.  Make threats.  Shut down the government if they didn't get their way.

They did this time after time after time.  And what did it get them?  Worm-level approval ratings and Obama easily reelected.

So, how will the GOP deal with the SCOTUS vacancy?  Obstruction!  Again.  The American public is sure to be impressed.

One definition of stupid:  Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 23, 2016 at 5:38 AM

    “The Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling hearings on the nomination, until after the political campaign season is over,” Biden said in a floor address on June 25, 1992, about reforming the Supreme Court confirmation process.


    "...the cost of keeping the court split 4-4 would be "quite minor" compared to the "bitter fight" that would ensue if the president tried pushing through a nominee."

    Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 1992

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BusterFebruary 23, 2016 at 1:21 PM

      Beware the two-sentence quote from a ninety-minute speech given 24 years ago!

      Biden was speaking in the aftermath of the contentious Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings (a total circus if you're old enough to recall). In June of 1992, there was no vacancy on the Court, no nominee in waiting. Biden was speaking hypothetically of the entire confirmation process itself. He did not urge his colleagues to categorically deny a nominee a hearing as today's Republicans are; instead he was complaining about the politicization of the process, and asking for more executive-legislative teamwork in making Court selections.

      He made the statement quoted above by Mr./Mrs. Anonymous in the context of some future president picking justices without any Senate consideration or cooperation. And then, Biden said this:

      "I believe that so long as the public continues to split its confidence between the branches, compromise is the responsible course, both for the white House and the Senate. Therefore I stand by my position. If the President consults and cooperates with the Senate, or moderates his selections absent consultation, then his nominees may enjoy my support as did Justices Kennedy and Souter."

      Delete

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