Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:45 pm
2016 Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) made it clear Republicans would obstruct an Obama nominee and using his death to drive home the stakes of the 2016 election. Within minutes of the breaking news hitting, Cruz tweeted, “Justice Scalia was an American hero. We owe it to him, & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement.”
Justice Scalia was an American hero. We owe it to him, & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 13, 2016
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And Ted Cruz is in with a statement on Scalia now, too. pic.twitter.com/wb39bSi11K
— Gabriel Debenedetti (@gdebenedetti) February 13, 2016
While Trump was clueless, as ever:
Love the people of South Carolina – look very much forward to the debate tonight.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2016
Trump eventually did tweet something about Scalia’s death:
The totally unexpected loss of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a massive setback for the Conservative movement and our COUNTRY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2016
In case anyone thinks that is a one off, Conn Carroll, the Communications Director for Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), made waves today when upon hearing of Justice Scalia’s sudden death at his West Texas ranch, he immediately tweeted, “What is less than zero? The chances of Obama successfully appointing a Supreme Court Justice to replace Scalia?â€
What is less than zero? The chances of Obama successfully appointing a Supreme Court Justice to replace Scalia?
— Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) February 13, 2016
Republicans’ first reaction to the shocking news of Justice Scalia’s sudden death was not to wonder who President Obama would appoint but to assume that they would block his nominee and thus get to use the replacement as a get out the vote tactic for Republicans.
We can’t expect much else from the party of relentless obstruction.
Republicans have also set an even lighter work schedule in Congress than their already laughably light schedule, so no doubt they will use their laziness as yet another excuse to deny President Obama the power of the Presidency handed to him by the people twice – the last election in a landslide.
Republicans say they are working for the people, but they are only working for their own political ambitions or else they would actually show up to work and do something other than obstruct Obama.
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