Knockout: Why Obama Wants a Supreme Court Fight and How Republicans Blew It Before It Starts [View all]

[kpete]

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The political cornering of Republicans will be especially important because this is an election year. The longer Republicans drag out this fight, the more it will galvanize an electorate favorable to the Democratic party. As Ted Cruz helpfully reminded everyone at last night's CBS debate:

“We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will strike down every restriction on abortion adopted by the states. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will reverse the Heller decision (on individual gun ownership]... We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that would undermine the religious liberty of millions of Americans [Read: require employers to butt out of women’s health care decisions.]”

We are also just one justice away from the Supreme Court no longer holding the notion that money is speech. We are one justice away from restoring the Voting Rights Act's protections for minorities.

All of these issues - women's right to reproductive care without interference from their states or their bosses, gun safety, money in politics, voting rights - play in favor of a blue electorate, if only they come out to vote. A high profile fight over the President's nominee to replace Scalia - especially one in which Republicans are seen as political obstructionists rather than conscientious objectors - will insure those voters come out. And they will come out to punish the Republicans even if - perhaps more accurately, when - the President eventually wins the fight to seat his nominee.

In other words, Republicans may end up with the worst of both worlds: President Obama's appointee replacing Scalia, and a 16-year Democratic rein in the White House.

Oops.


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