The pressure campaign on Justice Sotomayor needs to stop!

[markpkessinger]

This entire notion that everything can be gamed out in advance is a fiction, based on the mistaken notion that it would have made a difference if Ruth Bader Ginsburg had only retired while Obama was president. It would not have. McConnell was hellbent on preventing Obama from naming a third justice to the court, and would have used every procedural and parliamentary trick in the book to prevent it from happening. It is true that Democrats held the Senate through 2013, but they still had the filibuster on Supreme Court nominees, and McConnell wouldn’t have hesitated to use it.

Besides, what with Manchin and Sinema still in the Senate, it is unclear whether Democrats could even seat a justice at the present moment!

And in any case, Sotomayor is just 69 years old. Yes, she is a type 1 diabetic, but she has managed that condition since she was 7 years old! And there are no other reports of any particular illness currently dogging her.

[Doc Sportello]

1. Could add that the chances of getting a nominee thorugh this senate seem remote

With Manchin and Sinema there. If someone has better math on it, I'll listen.

[Mister Ed]

2. She's highly intelligent and well-informed. She cares about the nation, and about justice.

She's bright enough to calculate whether she can best serve the nation and serve justice by resigning or by staying on.

For god's sake, people, give her some credit.

[ripcord]

3. The new way democrats are thanking SCOTUS justices and other positions they worry about

"You are old, get the fuck out!!!"

Some people are just disgusting.

[Hope22]

5. She isn't old in terms of past Supreme Court justices.

Also since Covid people boldly tell seniors when it is time to dry up and blow away. Across the board in our society.

[mahina]

40. In fairness

Only the Dems

[Autumn]

4. Pressure needs to be applied to do away with those lifetime appointments.

There's no reason for it. When this country was founded educated people who knew the laws were few and far in between and a lifetime appointment made sense. Now lawyers are a dime a dozen.

[Lovie777]

6. K & R..........................

[hlthe2b]

7. I think so too. I understand what is behind it, but, wow is it ugly.

Age and managed health conditions are becoming the cruel stereotype-based political weapons--even among Democrats. sigh...


Yes, some will attack those of us who feel this way as being "naive'" and foolish, but I know the risks. I also seek to be better than the RW and an actual compassionate human. I also know that tomorrow is promised to NONE of us--whether 20 yo or 80.

[we can do it]

8. Thank you!!!

[mopinko]

9. wake my up when we start talking about clearance thomas retiring.

he’s the oldest member of the court, iirc. not to mention the dirtiest.

[Johnny2X2X]

10. Disagree on RBG

The Republicans would have allowed Obama to replace her. They weren't going to allow Obama to replace Scalia with a liberal.

[Bev54]

11. Leave her alone, it is not for us to decide. JFC Bryer was 84 when he retired in 2022

Why is it still always the women they go after or blame.

[usaf-vet]

16. This is not about the sex. It's about the probability of a death and who is President.

[Bev54]

23. She is 69 and she has diabetes, I have an aunt who had diabetes, who drank too much, did not take

good care of herself and lived until her late 80's. We are not the judge of her health, she is, so like abortion it is her choice.

[usaf-vet]

35. At 77. I have diabetes and a heart condition. I hope to live into my nineties. But planning ahead I establish a trust.

It addresses all my concerns for my family and others.

In her case, it is not only her body, her health, and her choice.

In my individual case, I do not owe a responsibility to the liberal, progressive, or left-wing ________ (fill in the blank) Americans.

But, in their cases, I think SHE and RBG need(ed) to step up and address that responsibility while there is/was time.

When you join the military, you swear an oath and acquire an unwritten allegiance to your fellow comrades. You put your life on the line to protect them, and they have the same allegiance to you. This is often called unit cohesion. It's not written in any document; it's just understood.

Our political actions put her and RBG on the SCOTUS bench.
In my mind, they both also owe it to everyone who did their part to get them there. She needs to consider helping prepare a path for someone to replace them when unforeseen circumstances step in.

Personally speaking:

As for a woman's right to choose, I have been in that "room."
For four years as a military medic, I had the privilege of helping, in a small way, any woman who entered the surgical suite I scrubbed in that day to have her choice carried out.
It embarrasses me to listen to Congress members making decisions regarding healthcare when they have no idea what they are talking about, especially when it comes to reproductive rights and women's healthcare.

[tritsofme]

19. You're not making the point you think you are. Breyer strategically retired the first opportunity he got.

He faced many calls from Democrats to resign, to not repeat the tragedy of RGB.

Trying to make this about gender is disingenuous.

[Bev54]

21. He was 84 she is 69 that is the point. Maybe instead of all this hand wringing people should get out

and work at making sure the republicans do not regain power and push the dems to expand the court.

[mcar]

12. This!

[brooklynite]

13. Name a Democratic-nominated Justice that Manchin and Sinema didn't support.

[SocialDemocrat61]

17. Okay

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/03/20/congress/manchin-mounts-his-own-judicial-filibuster-00148147
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-manchin-treating-bidens-nominees-worse-trumps-rcna144953
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/13/politics/julie-su-nomination-joe-manchin/index.html
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-10/manchin-theatens-more-biden-nominees-as-he-blasts-white-house
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senator-manchin-vote-against-biden-nominee-head-irs-statement-2023-03-08/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/10/manchin-biden-epa-power-plant-emissions/

[Zeitghost]

25. Which one of those involves a Justice?

n/t

[SocialDemocrat61]

26. So other nominees

don’t count?

[Zeitghost]

27. Not when the question is:

"Name a Democratic-nominated Justice that Manchin and Sinema didn't support."

[SocialDemocrat61]

28. And how many did Biden nominate?

It’s a dishonest question when there has only been one.

[Zeitghost]

30. Was it limited to Biden?

n/t

[SocialDemocrat61]

31. Still dishonest

There have been no other nominees to the Supreme Court by a democratic president while Manchin and Scinema have been in the Senate. Manchin was sworn in in November 2010. Scinema in January 2019. Prior to Jackson-Brown the last nominee to the Supreme Court by a democrat was Elena Kagan, who was sworn in in August 2010.
So it is a completely dishonest question.

[Zeitghost]

32. How is that dishonest?

Manchin has supported both Democratic nominations in his tenure. There is nothing indicating that he or Sinema would not support a Biden nominee.

[SocialDemocrat61]

33. Manchin only had one in his tenure.

November comes after August.
So both Manchin and Scinema have only had one nominee of a Democratic President. President’s nominate a lot more people than just to the Supreme Court. So to limit the question to only one nominee is dishonest.

[elleng]

14. Thank you.

[usaf-vet]

15. I hope that this time next year I'm not going to have to say WE TOLD you so.. remember RBG could have!

[tritsofme]

18. You are wrong about Ginsberg. Democrats controlled the Senate through 2015, Harry Reid would not have hesitated to nuke

the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, just as he did for all other presidential nominees only two years earlier in 2013.

There is absolutely nothing McConnell could have done to prevent Obama and Senate Democrats from confirming a justice prior to 2015.

Ginsberg’s decision not to retire then had catastrophic consequences, I see no purpose for engaging in denial here.

I fear in Sotomayor, we have not learned from that tragic lesson.

This summer may represent the last opportunity for a decade Democrats will have to fill a SCOTUS vacancy.

It would not be surprising if a reelected Biden was forced to face a Republican Senate for the remainder of his term, and there is a high probability for the White House to change party hands after two terms.

This could be Sotomayor’s last chance to retire and ensure a like-minded replacement for a very long time.

She could even make her retirement contingent upon the confirmation of her successor, if Manchin/Sinema play games, she simply stays put.

It might not be fair, but again, this is not an issue we can pretend or wish away. I hope she gives serious consideration to retirement.

[All Mixed Up]

22. I share your concern.

I do take solace in the fact she seems relatively healthy so it's not as dire as it looked with RBG at times.

Assume Biden wins in November but Republicans win in 2028. That would put her at 74, or about the ages of Alito and Thomas now.

If the WH flips after four years, she's 78 and probably fine to retire. If not, she'd be at 82 if Democrats won after a two-term Republican and about the age Breyer was when he retired.

I wouldn't be opposed to her stepping down but it's not a dire situation right now.

[All Mixed Up]

20. Mitch McConnell was the minority leader the first two years of Obama's second term.

RBG could have retired then but decided to chance it. That was well within her right. But it doesn't mean we can't be critical of her decision process. She took a big gamble and we're now paying for it.

[Demsrule86]

24. I am not sure we could get her replacement through the Senate right now...with Sinema and

Manchin.

[tritsofme]

29. Her retirement could be contingent upon the confirmation of her successor.

Not sure this is a real concern.

[Groundhawg]

34. We have determined Biden isn't too old,

So neither is Sotomayer.

[tritsofme]

38. Apples and oranges. Biden will only serve four additional years. Sotomayor's successor could serve 30.

Whether it is Biden or a Republican president who chooses that successor will be hugely consequential.

[Groundhawg]

42. I STAND WITH HER

[tritsofme]

43. That's nice, still a poor comparison.

[Scrivener7]

36. It WOULD have made a difference if RGB had retired during Obama's

terms. A big difference.

But she was much older than Sotomayor is now, and she had many health issues.

There is no reason for Sotomayor to retire.

[Freethinker65]

37. Is there something new about her health?

[tritsofme]

39. No, it's just that June would be the natural time to announce retirement, so it's generating discussion as we approach

It’s when the Supreme Court’s term ends.

[Mad_Machine76]

41. I've been seeing this a lot in left-leaning spaces

And I don't like it much, nor do I think it's super practical at the moment. I understand the stakes involved but we can't keep demanding people leave office left and right when they still appear to be plenty capable of doing their jobs and they're not especially old/ill for that matter.