Senator Pat Toomey was adamant from the start that he wouldn’t consider any Supreme Court nominee put forward by President Obama.
The reasoning was that the next President should get to fulfill the vacancy.
Sen. Toomey doubled down on that view in an interview with Marc Levy of the AP.
“It might be just as well not to have a hearing that would, sort of, might mislead the American people into thinking that this is just about the qualifications of the candidate, because it’s bigger than that,” the Senator told Levy.
As a result, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that Sen. Toomey rejected President Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland today.
“With the U.S. Supreme Court’s balance at stake, and with the presidential election fewer than eight months away, it is wise to give the American people a more direct voice in the selection and confirmation of the next justice. Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully consider his nomination, as I have done with dozens of judges submitted by President Obama.”
Democrats have already indicated that they’ll be focusing on Toomey throughout the year so expect this to be a major campaign issue in 2016.
UPDATE: Steve Kelly of the Toomey campaign sent the following response to PoliticsPA:
“Joe Sestak and Katie McGinty have made it clear that they would be a rubber stamp for any Obama nominee that would move the balance of the Supreme Court to the liberal side. That’s irresponsible. Pat Toomey wants voters to have a say in just a few months.”
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28 Responses
Senator Pat Toomey. Please do not vote or continue to perform any other senatorial functions for the rest of this year. Since you are up for re-election you must wait; so the people of Pennsylvania can have a voice. If you are re-elected, then feel free to perform any of your duties as our Pennsylvania Senator!
Time for Toomey to go…
He has not helped us in Pennsylvania. .
Senator Toomey’s position is pure obstructionism and he is failing to live up to his constitutional duties. We should all support other candidates for the US Senate in November.
We will !!!
Keep up the great work!
This type of attitude is why the Republican Party will continue to be an abject failure. It is called “karma” and because they are total arses, they get what they deserve. Ronald Reagan was the apex for these nitwits. They can only gerrymander themselves into the action and then they crap their pants when it comes time to govern.
One-Term-Toomey
All you left-wing Democrats can whine all you want. We have no intention of allowing the SCOTUS to shift more to the ideological left as long as the Republicans control the Senate. Pat Toomey is doing exactly what we elected him to do. I’m more than willing to let the chips fall where they may come November.
Outrageous! Senator Toomey, are you familiar with the provisions as outlined in the constitution? Vote “No” if you wish, but you MUST consider this nomination. Do the job to which you were elected. You can’t simply make up your own rules.
There is no way to “recall” Senators in PA, except . . . go to the polls in November and vote the jackass out. After all, what is he really saying? Can you stop a president from accomplishing anything at all by starting the day after his inauguration to block everything he does? Oh, wait. They already did that according to Mitch McConnell’s grand declaration in 2009. It’s time for Toomey’s retirement.
Using Toomey’s own logic who is he to vote on anything for the rest of his term. Shouldn’t we wait to see who the US Senator from PA is? After all its been six years since anyone voted for Toomey and less than four years for Obama.
If you can’t do your job, you’re fired.
The regreatful people who has no vision on humanity justice! Keep in mind , you cant hold U. S. Attorney General nominee hostage? One year not two years. Should be the the right time for apointing a U. S. Supreme Court Justice. Why exercise the 6th Amendment (Speedy Trial). Something to hide?
Attorney General Kane should indict Toomey for impersonating a public servant.
An outrageous abdication of his constitutional responsibilities. Sen. Toomey has clearly demonstrated that his many claims of constitutional reverence were cheap lip service to his Tea Party followers who elected him.
And Toomey only supports gun laws that he knows are going to lose anyway. Bet your ass that if there was a gun law that might actually get voted through, he’d find some reason to oppose it.
The choice of the American people for the job of appointing Supreme Court Justices until January 2017 is Barack Obama.
Who is Toomey to deny our democratic choice?
Again, moderate and reasonable-looking Toomey always votes in lock step with the GOP radicals (with the exception of minor gun control issues). Do you doubt for a moment that he will vote their way on all major issues, regardless of what his constituents want? Does he have any practical need to know what his contituents want?
Sen Toomey, the United States Constitution is much bigger than both you and Sen itch McConnell. You’re attitude and intention to deny the president’s constitutional right to nominate a Supreme Court Justice is more than I will tolerate. I will do everything in my power as an individual to deny you every vote possible on election day. Your recent actions are nothing less than disgraceful and an insult to every American who has died to protect this country and the United States Constitution. You truth are a political disgrace. Shame on you and that old fart from Kentucky.
Toomey is not a lame duck yet. If voters are smart they will kick his right wing political butt in November.
Pat Toomey is a lame duck Senator,so by the Republican standards he holds against doing his constitutional job then he as a lame duck senator can’t vote or participate in any Senatorial legislation …
Toomey is living in the 14th Century and needs to be impeached or recalled.
Toomey, like his Repervlican colleagues in PA Senate, needs to DO HIS JOB.
“…It is wise to give the American people a more direct voice in the selection and confirmation of the next justice.”
Pat, that’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.
Would Toomey support judicial expert Al Kennedy Shafer?
Wow! Senator Toomey really belongs in the stupid party, doesn’t he?
“might mislead the American people into thinking that this is just about the qualifications of the candidate, because it’s” . . really pure naked partisanship to delegitimize a black president
Does Senator Toomey not realize that he is a ‘lame duck’ Senator right now? Why does he get to run with this double standard?