Dysfunctional and outmaneuvered —— The US Senate is about to get played by our President

[Mira]

by:Thomas Mills
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant.



The US Senate showed exactly how dysfunctional it is yesterday. The Republican majority decided that it will not even consider any appointment to the Supreme Court made by President Obama. Essentially, the Senators said we’re not going to do our job. In the real world, people get fired for doing that. In an election year, some Senators might, too.

The Senate could easily have agreed to hold hearings and then rejected Obama’s nominee, giving at least the semblance of performing their duties. Instead, they’re about to get played. Obama might not get his nominee, but Republicans may well pay a political price.This morning, Obama made a post to SCOTUSblog, the respected blog following the workings of the US Supreme Court. In it, he laid out the type of person he wants to nominate. He also said he expects the Senate to “fulfill their constitutional responsibility to consider” his nominee. Obama is clearly drawing the battle lines. It’s not really about confirming or not confirming. It’s about function or dysfunction—and right now the American people already believe Congress is dysfunctional.

Obama is laying the ground work for a big argument going into the November elections. Of the 34 Senate seats up for re-election, 24 are Republican. Of the ten most competitive seats, eight are held by Republicans. Their unwillingness to perform their constitutional duty along with government shutdowns and paralyzing gridlock makes the GOP look unable or unwilling to govern.

In addition, African-American voters, a major part of the Democratic base, will see the refusal to hold hearings on an Obama nominee as an attempt to cast the first African-American president as some how illegitimate. They’ve seen this tactic since the end of legalized slavery. Yesterday, the Senate gave them a reason to vote for Obama one more time.

In a state like North Carolina, Richard Burr might not be able to expect much African-American support, but he could hope for a lower turnout this year than in 2012 or 2008 when Obama was on the ticket. Now, he can probably expect just as high a turnout since he’s decided to diss the president. He’s given them something to vote against.

Obama is setting the stage for a showdown with the Republican-controlled Senate. They’re in a lose-lose situation. If they stand their ground and refuse to hold hearings, they are obstructionists who won’t do their jobs. If they give in to Obama, they look weak to their base. Once again, they’ve been outmaneuvered by the president by playing politics instead of doing their jobs.


http://www.politicsnc.com/dysfunctional-and-outmaneuvered-again/

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. Statement of Constitutional Law Scholars on the Supreme Court Vacancy

The Constitution is no our side.
https://twitter.com/profrubengarcia/status/702520090357436416

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7637115

[Andy823]

2. K&R

I think you are absolutely right!

[Chasstev365]

3. Not if .....

President Obama names a moderate Republican like Brian Sandoval and they switch their tune. Courage Mr. President: name a judicial liberal!

[onecaliberal]

6. ^^^^That^^^^

[babylonsister]

4. I so hope so! nt

[noretreatnosurrender]

5. Give Them Hell, Mr. President

A man I work with, whose a Republican, can't believe the stupidity of his Party on this issue. He is really fired up about this. I think I'll encourage him to call our Senator and let him know how he feels.

We live in Kentucky.

[azmom]

7. We all know they are obstructionists. I don't really see the point.

[Mira]

8. The point for what?

Assuming I am just obtuse, and maybe you are not serious, I must say that I for one am as rabidly furious over this situation as I have been about anything political in a long time.
The gall of these useless representatives of ours to not only loaf on the job in general, but to in advance announce they will do so with this critical appointment is a slap into all our faces.

I could only hope and wish for many people to wake up, smell the shit they keep brewing, and vote them out.

[sorefeet]

9. They haven't done one thing except obstruct

for seven solid years now, why would this supreme court nomination be any different???? They have wasted billions of tax payer dollars by doing absolutely nothing positive for the country and they took a vow to do this. There has to be some kind of law against this anti- American bull shit.

[Doctor_J]

10. That's how we ended up with the heritage foundation healthcare plan, TPP, and Paul Ryan's budget

These nine dimensional coups by the president always end up screwing working people.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

11. All it took was 7 years and the fortuitous death of Scalia?

3-D chess

[Mira]

12. Honestly

That's how I'd like to see it as well