Harry Reid Is Quietly Laying The Groundwork For Elizabeth Warren To Be Vice President

[applegrove]

Harry Reid Is Quietly Laying The Groundwork For Elizabeth Warren To Be Vice President

by Ian Millhiser by Think Progress

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/06/06/3784898/harry-reid-quietly-laying-groundwork-elizabeth-warren-vice-president/

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


Of course, the GOP leader’s ability to hold that seat open depends entirely on whether the Party of Obama or the Party of Trump controls the Senate in 2017. If Democrats perform well enough in November to hold a majority in the Senate with or without Elizabeth Warren, then it is likely that anyone Hillary Clinton would nominate to the Supreme Court will be confirmed. It is possible, however, that the two parties will be evenly divided in the Senate after the next election, with whoever controls the Warren seat claiming the majority.

Should Warren be elected vice president under these circumstances, however, there is an unusual gambit Democrats could use to place a Democratic president’s nominee on the Supreme Court. The 20th Amendment provides that “the terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January,” but “the terms of Senators and Representatives” end “at noon on the 3d day of January.” Thus, there will be a 17 day period when Barack Obama will still be president, and Elizabeth Warren could potentially be both a sitting U.S. senator and vice president-elect.

If the Senate were evenly divided during this period, outgoing Vice President Joe Biden’s tie-breaking vote would give Democrats an effective majority during these 17 days — and Obama would retain the power to keep Garland’s nomination before the Senate. Assuming no defections from within the Democratic caucus, the Senate could confirm Garland in the final days of Obama’s presidency.

That may not be an ideal outcome for liberal Democrats — Garland is older than most Supreme Court nominees and is widely viewed as a moderate — but it could be a much better outcome for Democrats than rolling the dice on who gets the Warren seat to determine if the vacancy on the Supreme Court is filled.


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[msongs]

1. no thanks nt

[Cheese Sandwich]

2. He probably wants her out of the Senate because she's a troublemaker

[Scuba]

3. Makes sense. The Republicans want to "emasculate" her and the VP slot would do just that.

[metroins]

4. Would we lose a Senate seat?

GOP governor.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. Must've been the treadmill fall he took last year.

The man isn't making any sense.

[unc70]

6. Or it could be contingency for Plan B

Last edited Tue Jun 7, 2016, 09:10 AM - Edit history (1)

In case there is a speed bump to th nomination.

[democrattotheend]

7. Not sure how I feel about that

Obviously, Elizabeth Warren is great, and I like the idea of a two-woman ticket. But if she is pushed on Hillary, I am not sure how much influence she would have as VP, and I think I would rather keep her in the Senate.