Scalia's Death and Supreme Politics

The announcement of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death has sent shock waves across the political spectrum of the United States. Scalia was the leading conservative on the U.S. Supreme Court. He was an intellectual giant, and an unapologetic "originalist" when it came to the U.S. Constitution. He will be sorely missed.

Unsurprisingly, in today's hyper-political culture, the news of Scalia's death was soon overtaken by the political ramifications that loom as the result of his death. Leading Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have already stated that the Senate will wait until after the election before confirming Scalia's replacement. Of course, Democrats are clamoring (howling maybe?) for Obama to get his replacement approved. Obama is saying he will nominate a replacement for Scalia "in due time."

I have long noted that one of the most important things to consider when voting for president is the power of the U.S. President to appoint federal judges. The U.S. Supreme Court imposed legalized abortion on the whole of the United States. This infamous ruling has endured now for well over four decades. The Supreme Court let Obamacare stand. For the last two decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has played no small role in forcing legitimization of homosexuality across the U.S. And of course, last year, the U.S. Supreme Court imposed a perverse re-definition of marriage on the whole of the United States.

It was not only judges appointed by liberal presidents who sided with those opposed to the Laws of the Law Giver. Republican nominees to the Court have failed us in this way as well. This is why, not simply a Republican, but a strong, principled constitutional conservative in the White House is of the utmost importance.

The Senate must stay strong in opposition to Obama and his liberal lackeys when it comes to Scalia's replacement. Conservatives--those in the Senate, those running for President, and pundits across the country--must make this an election issue. It is rare that the U.S. President's power to appoint judges is at the forefront of the issues before an electorate during a presidential election. We must take advantage and paint a clear picture for American voters of what's at stake.

Trevor Thomas