Obama: Can We 'Run Back The Tape' On GOP Hypocrisy On SCOTUS Noms?
Source: Talking Points Memo
President Barack Obama mocked Republicans on Thursday for the shifting rhetoric they've used to justify blocking the nomination of a Supreme Court justice to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
"Some of the same folks who just a while back said, 'Well, we can't have hearings and vote for the guy Obama nominated because we're so close to the election, we should let the next president make the nomination.' Right? That's what they said." Obama said at a rally in Florida. "So now they think Hillary might win. They say, 'Well, we might block hers, too.' Wait. But I thought you said that the people were going to decide."
November's election was the reason GOP leaders gave when they signaled almost immediately after Scalia's death in February that they planned to block anyone Obama nominated, no matter who it was. Indeed, Judge Merrick Garland -- a moderate judge who has been praised by Republicans in the past -- has received no hearings or votes since the President nominated him. Now, however, some GOP senators are saying publicly and privately that they plan to block Hillary Clinton's nominees to the court as well if she becomes President.
"Can I talk to the press for a second?" Obama said Thursday. "What happened? Do we have a 'run back the tape'? Do we have to kind of go, 'well, what happened'? That's what they said and now they're saying something entirely different. Come on, man." He argued that Republicans and Democrats cannot be blamed equally for congressional gridlock. "It's just not true."
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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obama-republicans-supreme-court-run-back-the-tape
BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)vi5
(13,305 posts)Wish he had some more of this bite during most of his tenure. Especially the second half during which he had little to lose and didn't have to worry about re-election.
bucolic_frolic
(43,172 posts)I was online that Sat afternoon, and I first saw the story of McConnell's
blockade about 3:15 PM. I was calling it unfair within the hour in online
message boards.
The GOP didn't even take time to think, they already had contingency
plans for a propaganda war.
Demit
(11,238 posts)to argue that Bush was the legitimate winner:
1) If he won the popular vote but lost in the Electoral College
2) If he won in the Electoral College but lost the popular vote.
Principle means nothing to these guys. The outcome is what's important.
ffr
(22,670 posts)That's my journalism president!
47of74
(18,470 posts)....insisting that John Roberts be given an up or down vote and not be blocked in the Senate.
TygrBright
(20,760 posts)I remember their mantra: "Up or down. Up or down."
They repeated it endlessly.
Maybe it's time to repeat it back to them. With footnotes.
sourly,
Bright
47of74
(18,470 posts)...that they've forgotten all about back then.
world wide wally
(21,743 posts)colsohlibgal
(5,275 posts)I would play that video over and over in Congress.
We must figure out a way to hold both houses. Otherwise they will obfuscate and investigate, cause gridlock, then blame her for getting not much done.
Dark n Stormy Knight
(9,760 posts)Yet, emails!!!!!