The Scalias of Justice 0
The Booman looks askance at those who are protesting that President Obama should have nominated a woman or a minority or even a minority woman for the vacancy on the Supreme Court and that nominating Merrick Garland was somehow a misstep. A nugget:
Secondly, racial animus and religious bigotry are not what is driving the Republican strategy of obstruction here. They actually like Merrick Garland despite him not being a follower of Jesus Christ. What picking a candidate the Republicans like has done is highlight that this isn’t about anything other than power politics. And that’s precisely what makes their position so indefensible. After all, progressives aren’t solely disappointed that Merrick Garland is an “old white dude;” they’re primarily disappointed that he’s seen as a moderate, centrist judge. Had Obama picked Leondra Kruger or Jane Kelly instead, their ideology would have been the main subject of debate rather than the tactic of total obstruction.
From the standpoint of the politics of the nomination–and there’s always politics involved in a Supreme Court nomination, sometimes moreso than others, and this is definitely a moreso time–nominating Merrick Garland was a brilliant move. It highlights Republican intransigence by putting the party in the position of having to choose whether to betray one of its own.
Follow the link for the rest of the Booman’s analysis.
