Got an email from good 'ol Russ - he wants me to tell the GOP leadres to approve Jugears' appointment to the Supreme Court, regardless of what a mess his likely appointee would make of what's left of the Constitution.
His email:
Friend --
President Obama will soon nominate someone to succeed Justice
Scalia on the Supreme Court. This responsibility is not only critical
to the operation of our highest court, it is a responsibility explicitly
laid out in our Constitution: The president shall appoint a justice to
serve our nation and the Senate will provide
"advice and consent."
Once President Obama nominates a new justice, the
Republican-led Senate can consider the nominee and decide not to support
them -- that's their right, and it's what the Constitution means by
"advice and consent."
What the Senate cannot do is abdicate this constitutional
responsibility. Yet Senator Ron Johnson has proposed doing exactly that.
He's putting Republican party politics ahead of our Constitution and
offering up only excuses. "Doing nothing is also an action," he said
this week.
His "doing nothing" is actually not action, it's partisan
obstruction. His "doing nothing" is why Washington has become so
dysfunctional. His "doing nothing" flies in the face of his
constitutional responsibility, and it has to stop. So I'm calling on
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Johnson, and other
Senate Republicans to drop their knee-jerk obstruction and give the
president's Supreme Court nominee fair consideration.
But I need your help to build pressure.
Tell
Mitch McConnell, Ron Johnson, and the Senate to do their jobs and give
fair consideration to President Obama's Supreme Court justice nominee.
The Supreme Court plays a unique role in applying the
Constitution to important questions of American life and business, but
if Senator Johnson and other Senate Republicans continue on this
damaging path, our country could be waiting over a year for a new
Supreme Court justice.
Join me in reminding Senator Johnson, Mitch McConnell, and other Senate Republicans of their crucial responsibility.
Tell
Senator Ron Johnson, Mitch McConnell, and the Senate to do their jobs
and give fair consideration to President Obama's justice nominee.
Senator Johnson's tactics have already damaged one branch of
government -- we can't let him use the same tactics on another.
Thank you,
Russ Feingold
(links removed. Don't want anyone to accidentally give him any encouragement. If YOU want to send him anything, look up the email yourself!)
My response:
Dear Mr. Feingold,
Yes, the Senate has the
authority to approve or disapprove a Presidential Supreme Court appointment.
What they do not have is a Constitutional
responsibility to approve an
appointee who will not rule based upon the original intent and wording
of the Constitution. They do not have the responsibility to approve
someone who will legislate from the bench.
The Supreme Court is not there to interpret the Constitution as a
"living document" - they are there to rule on cases and how the
Constitution, as written and ans originally intended, allows or
prohibits that particular law in question.
We have had entirely too much "interpretation" from the Supreme Court in my lifetime. It's time for this to end.
If President Obama nominates someone with the above credentials and
judicial record, I am all for them. Otherwise, let's wait until next
February.
There is no case before the Supreme Court so critical tha we need to
rush this. I cannot conceive of any such case arising in the next year.
Except, possibly, a ruling on whether or not we have had a legitimate
President for the last two terms - and even that could wait until next
year - he's already done about all the damage he could, unless the
CONgress refuses to do their jobs.
Regards,
Chuck Kuecker
Beloit, WI.
Funny how when the Demonrats obstructed Republican appointees, there was no hoo-haw raised...
