The US Supreme Court

Truly shocking and hypocritcal/cynical. Hope the world will expose this.

suziewoozie

The Democrats have no power in this as they are not in the majority in the senate. I said the Democrats have... oh never mind ????

I think the Republicans are claiming that because this time they control the Senate and there’s a Republican President they are entitled to push through their candidate.

With Obama, the Republicans held the Senate so they could stop his candidate.

absent

Senate Leader Mitch McConnell blocked President Obama's "pick" on the grounds that it was an election year, although it was some months until the election. The same Mitch McConnell has stated, almost within minutes of the announcement of Justice Ginsberg's death, that he will bring Donald Trump's candidate to the vote immediately. A small number – four, so far, I think –of Republican senators have said that they will vote against a new appointee at this time. One of the four has a habit of changing her mind.

Thats it in a nutshell, currently-

The next inauguration is scheduled for 1/20/21- The new justice would need to be appointed before that date-

4 months from now-

My goodness the next generation is going to have to deal with a totally different America.

I guess the pro-lifers will the first in line to test the law.

The Trump cult will show its stunning hypocrisy yet again by shoving in place the most right wing individual from the list they have compiled. It has been McConnell's sworn policy to swing the American judicial system as far right as possible with the ultimate aim of overturning the right to abortion and other personal freedoms. If you have time check out the Lindsey Graham recordings from his opposition to the timing of the appointment of Merrick Garland - he asks to be held accountable if he supports an attempt by a republican president to push through an appointment during the year of an election. But Graham and the others of the Trump cult will bulldoze an appointment through because they now have no shame and no moral compass. Poor, poor America.

Tragically, the Supreme Court of America is already exerting its influence in our country. The ongoing trial in the Old Bailey in central London of an innocent journalist is a mighty battle for the freedom of the press to print the truth. The outcome will affect all of us, because unless Julian Assange is freed, America will extradite him and imprison him for life.

In effect, the powers that be dislike the revelation by Julian Assange of the deliberate murder by American soldiers of civilians during the Iraq war.
I urge you all to research the facts of this case and decide for yourself.

Sorry, should have said the recordings are on youtube

I think the Obama situation was that there was still 9 months to the election. This is much, much less - just a few weeks.

And yes, apparently it is still possible.

Obama was blocked because the Senate was majority Republican and blocked almost everything he tried to do. They still are, so will not block Trump’s appointee.

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg was very sad, not just because she was brilliant but because of the vacancy in the Supreme Court. Trump will undoubtedly put a conservative in her place, despite the hypocrisy of appointing someone so close to an election, and Supreme Court appointments are for life.

My DD in the US wept when she heard the news, although she is not the sort of person who cries over people she doesn't know personally. Not only did she admire RBG, she is afraid of the direction that the US is taking. RBG was a defender of liberal values, including women's rights. A Supreme Court stuffed with conservatives will move US law further down the reactionary road, diminishing human rights in the process.

It seems that the political composition of the Supreme Court is more important than the choice of president. Presidents come and go but Supreme Court judges can be there for decades, and their judgments play a major role in shaping US society.

Athenia I agree with you about Assange.

I will not besurprise that trump is going to win the second term, Biden is too weak and most of the Americans are blinded by him. After trump pulled out of most of the world organisations, he is free to do more damages to the world eg the environment ,I am afraid UK will stick more to US especially after Brexit

This short article outlines RBGs take on Roe v Wade and why- Although criticized for her insight/argument at that time, it might come to pass-

time.com/5354490/ruth-bader-ginsburg-roe-v-wade/

Sadly I do think that there's a chance that Trump will win a second term - even by a slim majority. Putin will make sure he does - he likes having someone in the White House he can control. Trump is terrified of losing - suspect that too many secrets are being sat on about him, including how many billions of $$ he owes Russian banks. If he loses, he will be bankrupted and humiliated, and his family will lose all the business opportunities they have. So, I'm afraid that he will get his candidate through, and the judiciary will continue to badly serve vulnerable people in the USA, especially women. I can't believe this is happening in 2020.

I was listening to the announcement on this today and didn't know she did so much for women's rights in America, overruling other governing bodies. We could have done with the support of someone like her in the fifties women's fight for compensation on their loss of pension. I also didn't realise how political the appointment of a successor was and think they should have a set term of office.

He is our president until the next one is sworn in. There is time. Anyone who thinks Trump wants to harm women has not studied his business practices and his governing successes. I'm holding back from saying more.

What John Roberts’s Surprise Abortion-Rights Ruling Means for the Future of Roe v. Wade

www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/what-john-robertss-surprise-abortion-rights-ruling-means-for-the-future-of-roe-v-wade

Anyone who thinks Trump wants to harm women has not studied his business practices and his governing successes

THE 100 WAYS TRUMP'S POLICY HARMS PROGRESS FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES:

s3.amazonaws.com/interactives.americanprogress.org/maps/2017/04/100DaysWomen/index.html

PHEW... So much distain for the US and our president. I am not a Trump Thumper. I am a constitutionalist. We are not the UK. We are traditionally conservative, though we have merged and assimilated many cultures and religions of legal immigrants. Trump supporters value family, country, and God; equal rights; respectful protest. I don't understand how another country thinks they know what is right for another.

Putin does not want Trump to win and Trump is not afraid of anyone. Biden was a sharp man years ago, but is not now. He will be a fool in global business and civics. It scares us what will happen to our country if Biden wins because he will not be making the decisions; he is inept.

Voting for a leader should not be about their personal life, but how they will lead through the million decisions affecting our lives.

Justice Ginsberg was a brilliant woman who is greatly admired for her dedication to our country and constitution. Like millions of people, I must truthfully say that her decisions on late term abortion divided our country putting woman against woman. It is the silent element; the elephant in the room and in the country. Views on abortion greatly sway the votes of women and of many men.

Finally... I am sorry to offend anyone. I came to Gransnet to discuss our mutual grandmother concerns, experiences, and joy. I am a very loving person and right now I feel attacked by all of the previous posts in this thread. Tension is high in the US; please don't jug
de or shame us.

I dont really understand that to be honest. A criticism of the government is not a personal criticism. I think our government is criminally inept.

rosecarmel.... the media absolutely hates Trump. The democractic party and George Soros own the media. Long before the last election, Trump was hated by career politicians because he could NOT be bought; he was not a politician. He loves our country, our military, and police. He does not care about popularity outside the country. He doesn't take a salary and works tirelessly. Unlike previous presidents, he doesn't smoke, drink, do drugs, cater to speciality groups or celebrities. He works for us.
Our system is corrupt and flawed and hypocritical, but it is what we have.

Auzldy, anyone is free to respectfully disagree-

Nobody can speak for all Trump supporters, although they will attempt to- No one person can interpret/represent the Constitution, although will pretend to-

Auzldy, honest assessments of our presidents must include criticism- Without it, it wouldn't be an accurate assessment- It would be fan mail-

For example:

People who love Obama refuse to seriously discuss his failures or hold Republicans accountable for what he was unable to accomplish-

The media doesn't hate Trump- But they do not cover his accomplishments fairly which poorly reflects those people that benefit from his policies-

The media does focus much more on his disasters-

The President doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs- But that doesn't mean he doesn't have any vices- He uses Twitter to viciously attack people/groups/establishments- It is a habit-

I agree with you that our system is corrupt, flawed and hypocritical- We can do better- Together-

Auzldy I think that there is a common misunderstanding between Americans and British people where political criticism is concerned. Years ago, I was a member of a site where politics were frequently discussed. We were mainly British but had a few American members. This was at the time of George W Bush and the Iraq war, so you can imagine that America was mentioned quite often.

Whenever the American government was criticised, the American members became upset and angry. They took it as an attack on America itself. They were particularly offended by any disrespect to the President. By contrast, we British were cheerfully heaping abuse on our government and particularly on the Prime Minister. It was impossible to convince them that criticising American policy didn't mean that you hated America.

I think that it is partly because people are defensive when criticism comes from outsiders, but I also think that there is a fundamental difference in attitude. I once asked an American why they took criticism of the President so personally and he said you had to respect the office, even if you didn't like the present incumbent. I don't think that we feel the same way about our Prime Minister. If we think he is an idiot, we will say that he is an idiot. Maybe the Queen has that automatic respect in the eyes of some people, although not for those of us who would abolish the monarchy.

Frankly, I think Trump has been a disastrous President. (I also think Johnson is a disastrous Prime Minister.) I won't list the reasons why, as there is no point going over old ground, but I will say that I am frightened by the direction that America is taking. I have family in Wisconsin and I worry about them in a country even more bitterly divided than ours.

I am sorry that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is dead. She was a remarkable American.

Surely if Trump and his fans really believed that he would be re-elected there would be no hurry to make this or any other appointment. Do they now think he is likely to lose?