Chuck Grassley’s revisionist history on SCOTUS nominations in election years

On Saturday Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley doubled down on Sen. Mitch McConnell’s statement that President Barack Obama should not make an appointment to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the unexpected death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. In his statement Sen. Grassley noted it has been “standard practice” over the past 80 years to not confirm nominations to the Supreme Court in an election year.

It is “standard practice” to not confirm nominations to the Supreme Court in an election year, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Saturday, following news of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

As a result, he said the Senate shouldn’t confirm President Obama’s nominee to replace Scalia.

“The fact of the matter is that it’s been standard practice over the last 80 years to not confirm Supreme Court nominees during a presidential election year,” Grassley said.

Of course, there’s one big problem with Sen. Grassley’s statement that it’s “standard practice” not to confirm nominations to the Supreme Court in an election year….it’s simply not a factual statement.

Image courtesy Democratic Underground
Image courtesy Democratic Underground
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11 thoughts on “Chuck Grassley’s revisionist history on SCOTUS nominations in election years

  1. Zach, except that Justice Kennedy was appointed by President Ronald Reagan on November 30, 1987. Sen. Grassley’s statement is fact.

      1. Yup, and Reagan was a lame duck then, with an election that was definitely up in the air.

        But then again, the 21st Century GOP motto is “Our rules don’t apply to us.”

        Go ahead Bagger trash, block the president. See how well that works for you this November. Especially you (mo)Ron Johnson. Why lose by 10 to Feingold when you can lose by 20?

        1. Be interesting to see Feingold-Johnson battle. Russ only won two counties last time he was re-elected; Milwaukee and Dane (something like 95%). That’s going to be a nail-biter. Russ has to find support outside of Madison and Milwaukee.

          1. Phil, you’re absolutely right. The true test for Feingold will be how he does in the Fox River Valley and up north, because there are a lot of Democratic and independent votes to be gotten in those areas.

    1. And yet Justice Kennedy was vetted and confirmed in 1988, which the last time I checked was an election year.

      Do you really mean to tell me you believe that if this had happened in November 2015 Republicans wouldn’t be pulling this same stuff? C’mon, you know they would.

      1. And yet the process of putting Justice Kennedy on the court started in 1987, which the last time I checked was not an election year. Had this happened last year your thesis would be strong. It didn’t.

  2. It seems to me that calling Grassley a “liar” is an inadequate term..

    We are told that “Satan is the Father of lies” in John 8:44.

    Therefore, can one say, Grassley is a Lying SOS?

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