Quote:
Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX
Baldwin died in April of 1844. Edward King was nominated by Tyler in June of 1844. The Senate voted to postpone consideration of King's nomination. Tyler renominated King once again in December 1844 and in January 1845 the Senate once again tabled the nomination. Tyler withdrew King's nomination in Feb. 1845. Tyler then nominated John Read whose nomination was eventually withdrawn due to his stance on slavery. In August 1846 Robert Grier was nominated and quickly approved.
So the Senate did take action on King's nomination.
Unfortunately, I can't find any information on whether or not action was taken by the Senate on Read's nomination. If the Senate sat on their asses and did nothing on Read's nomination from Feb. 1845 until August 1846, you are correct in stating the delay by the Senate was longer in this case than the delay in Garland's case. If the Senate took action similar to what was taken in King's nomination, you are incorrect.
Again, to me whether or not 171 years ago a biased Senate which had it in for John Tyler simply ignored Tyler's Supreme Court nominations for a longer period than McConnell and the Republicans ignored the nomination of Garland does not make it right. The responsibility of the Senate is to vet Supreme Court nominees and then vote on the nominee. If in 2016 the Senate had done that and voted down Garland I would have no problem. Taking no action is indefensible, whether it in fact did happen in 1845/1846, or as it did happen in 2016.
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So, deciding not to take action on the nominee and let them sit is taking action? Is that your argument?
Then by the rules of the Senate, McConnell took Senate action in not bringing the nomination to the floor and advising Obama that any nomination he made would not be given consent.
See how that works there. And action that results in the Senate taking no action is somehow "graded" differently by you to try and make a point.
You say you would have been happy with them voting down Garland. Would you have been equally happy had they just voted to postpone addressing his nomination?
Given your logic, any delay in anything the Senate does or does not do is indefensible - right?
Can they sit on and kill legislation. OMG, they better act quickly.
The Senate is historically the slower more deliberate branch of Congress controlled by it's own set of rules.
You are just unhappy that Garland and Obama were victims of normal Senate politics.
The hypocrisy of the Kavanaugh attacks still in my opinion dwarf the not overly unusual treatment of Garland.