Scalia's death could deal Republicans a huge blow redistricting and voting rights cases

[applegrove]

Scalia's death could deal Republicans a huge blow redistricting and voting rights cases

by Stephen Wolf at Daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/2/15/1485067/-Scalia-s-death-could-deal-Republicans-a-huge-blow-in-upcoming-redistricting-and-voting-rights-cases

"SNIP............


The unexpected death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a political earthquake that will dramatically shake up our nation’s highest court. President Obama will now have an opportunity to appoint a liberal-leaning justice, but even if Republicans refuse to confirm a replacement, as they’ve threatened, the conservative bloc has nevertheless lost its five-to-four majority.

Going forward, if the court deadlocks at four votes apiece in future cases, such ties would either affirm the lower court rulings under review without setting precedent, or be scheduled for reargument for after a new justice can be seated. What you might not realize, for all the Republican bluster, is that this stalemate favors Democrats, thanks to the decisive advantage Obama has racked up after seven years of appointments to other federal courts nationwide.



..............SNIP"

[BeyondGeography]

1. So sad

[Kingofalldems]

2. So that's why they are all angry and accusatory today.