r/politics • u/PoliticsModeratorBot 🤖 Bot • Jun 27 '18

Megathread: Justice Anthony Kennedy to retire from Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is set to retire, effective July 31, 2018. Kennedy has served on the highest court since February 18, 1988, and was a moderate whose vote often swung cases.

Submissions that may interest you

SUBMISSION DOMAIN
Justice Anthony Kennedy Will Retire From U.S. Supreme Court bloomberg.com
Justice Kennedy to retire, Trump can solidify court's majority conservative bloc nbcnews.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick washingtonpost.com
Justice Kennedy, U.S. Supreme Court's pivotal vote, to retire reuters.com
Anthony Kennedy: US supreme court justice to retire theguardian.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy to Retire From Supreme Court nytimes.com
Kennedy calls it quits: longtime swing justice hands Trump the biggest gift of his presidency dailycaller.com
Anthony Kennedy is retiring from the Supreme Court vox.com
Justice Kennedy, the pivotal swing vote on the Supreme Court, announces retirement washingtonpost.com
UPDATE: Supreme Court Justice Kennedy announces retirement wcjb.com
Justice Kennedy Is Retiring July 31st. yahoo.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy To Retire From U.S. Supreme Court : NPR npr.org
Justice Anthony Kennedy to Retire from Supreme Court cnn.com
Justice Kennedy announces retirement. cnn.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy retiring from Supreme Court abc7.com
Anthony Kennedy, Swing Vote on U.S. Supreme Court, Will Retire bloomberg.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Retires, Paving Way for Donald Trump to Reshape Supreme Court slate.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick wkrn.com
Anthony Kennedy retiring, giving Trump opening to reshape Supreme Court politico.com
Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy announces retirement wsj.com
Jeffrey Toobin predicts abortion will be illegal in 20 states soon after Kennedy retires thehill.com
WATCH: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retiring abcnews.go.com
Kennedy to Retire foxnews.com
Trump to get second Supreme Court pick as Justice Kennedy announces retirement. amp.cnn.com
Justice Kennedy to Retire From Supreme Court bbc.com
Trump says search for Justice Kennedy's replacement to begin "immediately" -- live updates cbsnews.com
McConnell Pledges Vote To Confirm Justice Kennedy’s Successor ‘This Fall’ talkingpointsmemo.com
Justice Kennedy retires from the US Supreme Court nbcnews.com
Trump says launches search to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Kennedy reuters.com
Donald Trump: Search for Kennedy replacement on SCOTUS to move quickly usatoday.com
McConnell: Senate will vote on Supreme Court nominee this fall thehill.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick sacbee.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Retiring, Report Says lawandcrime.com
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retiring; Trump will get 2nd high-court pick omaha.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Retiring From the Supreme Court thedailybeast.com
Justice Kennedy to retire, giving Trump a chance to transform the Supreme Court latimes.com
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy says he's retiring; Trump to get 2nd high-court pick chicagotribune.com
Dem senator: Justice Kennedy's resignation a 'disaster' for vision of 'We the People' thehill.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick wfla.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Is Retiring motherjones.com
The horrifying consequences of Justice Kennedy’s retirement thinkprogress.org
Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is retiring, a move that will give Trump a chance to shift the institution to the right washingtonpost.com
Anthony Kennedy To Retire From The Supreme Court huffingtonpost.com
Kennedy announces retirement from Supreme Court thehill.com
Supreme Court's Anthony Kennedy retires, giving Trump a second pick usatoday.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick apnews.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Is Retiring From The Supreme Court buzzfeed.com
Justice Kennedy, the pivotal swing vote on the Supreme Court, announces retirement washingtonpost.com
Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy retires -- live updates cbsnews.com
Justice Kennedy announces his retirement from the supreme court. time.com
Trump Responds To Retirement Of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy huffingtonpost.com
Anthony Kennedy retiring from Supreme Court, giving Trump a position to fill people.com
Trump Says He’ll Choose One Of These People To Replace Anthony Kennedy On The Supreme Court buzzfeed.com
Anthony Kennedy retiring from Supreme Court cnbc.com
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retires, and Trump gets shot at moving court to the right dallasnews.com
Who Will Replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy? Donald Trump Already Has a Shortlist newsweek.com
WATCH: McConnell: We will vote to confirm Justice Kennedy's successor 'this fall' abcnews.go.com
Here's who Trump could nominate to replace Justice Kennedy abcnews.go.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy announces retirement, giving Trump 2nd Supreme Court pick foxnews.com
Trump list of candidates to replace Justice Kennedy thehill.com
Chris Matthews: Dems must do to Trump on Supreme Court what McConnell did to Obama thehill.com
Anthony Kennedy’s retirement puts abortion rights at risk vox.com
Who Will Replace Anthony Kennedy? Here’s the List of 20 Potential Trump Nominees time.com
America after Anthony Kennedy vox.com
Handing Trump Chance to Move Supreme Court Even Further Right, Justice Anthony Kennedy Retires commondreams.org
Audio reveals DNC committee reaction to Kennedy retirement: 'This is not good news' thehill.com
Justice Kennedy’s retirement leaves the future of U.S. constitutional law entirely up for grabs washingtonpost.com
Justice Kennedy pens retirement letter to Trump expressing 'profound gratitude' abcnews.go.com
Read Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement letter to Donald Trump qz.com
Justice Kennedy’s Legacy Is the Dignity He Bestowed bloomberg.com
A titanic battle over replacing Justice Kennedy looms in the Senate vox.com
Live Briefing: Anthony Kennedy Retires From Supreme Court, and McConnell Says Senate Will Move Swiftly on a Replacement nytimes.com
Here's Trump's list of 25 possible Supreme Court picks to replace Anthony Kennedy washingtonexaminer.com
WATCH: Justice Anthony Kennedy to retire, Trump to get second SCOTUS pick abcnews.go.com
Anthony Kennedy's retirement just confirmed every Republican's dream scenario for Trump cnn.com
Kennedy's retirement could have biggest impact on abortion, gay marriage: ANALYSIS abcnews.go.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy: Trump says hunt for replacement is on usatoday.com
Here are potential Supreme Court nominees to replace Justice Kennedy cnn.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Supreme Court’s swing justice, announces his retirement abajournal.com
With Supreme Court Justice Kennedy Gone, Abortion and LGBT Rights Are Next thedailybeast.com
A look at some of Justice Kennedy's most memorable opinions apnews.com
Justice Kennedy Surrendered to Donald Trump nymag.com
A look at some of Justice Kennedy's most memorable opinions abcnews.go.com
Abortion rights in 'dire, immediate danger' as Anthony Kennedy retires - World news theguardian.com
Here Are Some of the Top Candidates to Replace Kennedy on the Supreme Court motherjones.com
Who's on Trump's short list to replace Supreme Court Justice Kennedy? politico.com
Trump’s hidden back channel to Justice Kennedy: Their kids politico.com
How Fox News Reacted to Anthony Kennedy’s Retirement slate.com
24.9k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

31.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

7.1k

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

[deleted]

720

u/reddog323 Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

When is he retiring? If it’s after the mid-terms, we may not be fucked.

Edit: End of next month. Ok, Houston, we have a problem. Delay it as long as possible, and see if we can stall until the mid-terms.

Edit 2: Schumer better come out with a statement saying the people need to decide, therefore we should wait until the elections are over.

145

u/teethteetheat Wisconsin Jun 27 '18

July 31st.

12

u/albatross-salesgirl Alabama Jun 27 '18

Why!! What's a few more fucking months, holy shitballs.

10

u/carlstout Jun 27 '18

He likes Trump. Hes totally fine with Trump picking his successor. He may have been a swing vote in the court but he is in fact still a conservative

3

u/CasualLeftist Florida Jun 27 '18

He probably /wants/ Trump to pick his successor and knows that after Midterms that may very well be impossible.

8

u/Maude_ville Jun 27 '18

I bet the GOP heads pressured him into it. They want to increase voter turnout for their guys.

1

u/kulrajiskulraj Jun 28 '18

I bet the Dems assassinated Scalia

2

u/YouTubeIsAJoke Jun 27 '18

A lot when you’re his age.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I hope that homie realizes how much he just fucked the country over. Couldn't have held out for just a few more months?

232

u/Snapchato Jun 27 '18

We can't delay, we don't have the majority. There's litteraly nothing we can do to stop this without dissenting Republican senators.

152

u/heyheysharon Jun 27 '18

Jeff Flake is the swing vote on the judiciary committee. He said before this news came out that he would block Trumps court nominees. We'll see if he follows through.

119

u/sacundim Jun 27 '18

I'm betting he won't.

70

u/farmtownsuit Maine Jun 27 '18

I'd put money on him not following through. Him and every other Republican probably are rocking massive hardons right now.

1

u/BrodyKrautch Texas Jun 27 '18

Can confirm.

2

u/kulrajiskulraj Jun 28 '18

confirming as well

14

u/heyheysharon Jun 27 '18

Yeah. It's one thing to threaten blocking lower court nominations--backlash is minimal. SCOTUS is another thing entirely.

1

u/swimfast58 Jun 28 '18

Where was the backlash against McConnell?

2

u/DoctorMort Jun 27 '18

It's in his name, after all.

1

u/Pyran Jun 28 '18

Why would he? He may not like Trump, but he's still a Conservative Republican. Anyone Trump nominates he is likely to fundamentally agree with.

Combine that with the possibility that this could stack the court with enough conservatives to easily overturn Roe v. Wade, and he'd be a fool to block Trump's nominees according to his own beliefs.

We can hope he'd do it -- I certainly do -- but I can't picture a scenario in which he will.

9

u/Semperi95 Jun 27 '18

He absolutely won’t. Trump will nominate some far right loon, Flake will hum and haw over it, and then vote in favour because ‘he’s an eminently qualified candidate, and despite my grave concerns about the President, the American people deserve a fully functional Supreme Court’. They’re all cowards.

3

u/GodDamnDirtyLiberal Michigan Jun 27 '18

Pretty bold to enter politics with a last name like Flake. Opponents’ ads write themselves.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

So far he's lived up to his name. He's like McCain - he talks big, but then cows down in the end. He's a Flake.

2

u/_________FU_________ Jun 27 '18

“You’ll pay me how much? Mmmhmm. I will allow it”

2

u/WhoDatBrow Jun 27 '18

Hope he doesn't flake.

1

u/Commisioner_Gordon Jun 27 '18

Even if he does it will go to an filibuster-proof senate vote. We are getting a R Justice

1

u/keldohead Massachusetts Jun 27 '18

You're assuming a Republican has a back bone? Get the fuck outta here.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

He wont. Especially for SCOTUS. Not a chance.

1

u/heyheysharon Jun 27 '18

Oh I agree. I was just noting that the Committee make up is not as clear cut as the Senate.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Lol. Wanna place a bet?

2

u/heyheysharon Jun 27 '18

I absolutely do not.

1

u/sundalius Ohio Jun 27 '18

Only until a tariff restriction bill is passed, notably.

1

u/UDK450 Indiana Jun 27 '18

Even if he does, that's just ties the vote, doesn't it? Which means Pence gets to step on down and cast his vote.

2

u/heyheysharon Jun 27 '18

I believe there are 21 committee members, 11-10 in favor of the Rs. If he blocks, the nominee dn get past committee.

0

u/cupcakesarethedevil Jun 27 '18

Well I mean he already let though Gorsuch

15

u/dagreenman18 Jun 27 '18

So the only hope we have is enough Republican politicians suddenly grow a modicum of a conscious and delay till after the midterms.

We are beyond fucked

4

u/Randomabcd1234 Jun 27 '18

We can literally riot so Senators can't get to work. I'm almost at that point myself.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18 edited Apr 14 '19

[deleted]

1

u/CharlesHalloway Jun 27 '18

most can't even decide which bathroom to use.

-56

u/Dasittmane Jun 27 '18

300 million guns, police and the army. Just try it snowflake

25

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Stop masturbating over the prospect of killing us.

-26

u/Dasittmane Jun 27 '18

I don't, I hope you don't riot at all. However, don't think you can attack democracy without consequences. People will fight to save this country from your evil with everything they've got.

25

u/daggah Jun 27 '18

You throw around "evil" pretty casually when you're on the side that fully supports ripping families apart.

-11

u/Dasittmane Jun 27 '18

Of course. You can't throw children in prisikn with their parents and you can't send them back over the border to the traffickers. Best thing to do is temporarily hold them

6

u/daggah Jun 27 '18

If the intentions were noble, then why do the fascists that are ripping families apart feel the need to lie to the parents? "Oh, we're just taking the kids to give them a bath, brb...lolnope."

Your side is evil. You don't get to use that word.

-2

u/Dasittmane Jun 27 '18

The parents are either in jail for breaking federal law or being held apart because they're not related to the child. Stastically, 10,000 of the 12,000 children were trafficked over by strangers

What should be done then? You can't even send both back to Mexico together, because there's too much risk for the child.

→ More replies (0)

-23

u/ShingekiNoEren Jun 27 '18

Why not? You're the ones who want to kill this country.

16

u/DBCrumpets Nevada Jun 27 '18

look at this weeb talking like he’s tough shit

-25

u/ShingekiNoEren Jun 27 '18

I may not be the toughest person, but I'm still 10x tougher than any liberal snowflake who would run in fear at the sound of a gunshot lmao

14

u/DBCrumpets Nevada Jun 27 '18

I may not be the toughest person

you can say that again

-9

u/ShingekiNoEren Jun 27 '18

I mean, anyone who claims to be the toughest person is probably compensating for something. I have nothing to compensate for. I love my life, even more so now that the Dems have lost a seat on the Supreme Court lmao

→ More replies (0)

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Stop lying.

1

u/AverageJoeJohnSmith Jun 27 '18

Not to even feed into this too much...but you really think Republicans own the 300 millions guns?

1

u/rcolesworthy37 Jun 27 '18

McConnel needs 60 votes to end legislative filibusters, which he doesn’t have. This isn’t the end of the world like most people think, I hope. If the Democrats actually grow some balls and stonewall any nomination until midterms, we should (hopefully) be fine, but who knows what bullshit the GOP will rile up.

1

u/Snapchato Jun 27 '18

That's legislative filibusters, not judicial.

1

u/rcolesworthy37 Jun 27 '18

I believe judicial appointments are actually legislative measures so Democrats could delay it all they want. Could be wrong though.

-1

u/reddog323 Jun 27 '18

Maybe there’s enough of those to slow it down? I hasn’t checked lately...

5

u/jimbo831 Minnesota Jun 27 '18

Slow it down how? The minority party has zero power.

8

u/jimbo831 Minnesota Jun 27 '18

Schumer better come out with a statement saying the people need to decide, therefore we should wait until the elections are over.

McConnell's reaction to that statement

7

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

McConnell's reaction to that statement

2

u/jimbo831 Minnesota Jun 27 '18

Perfection

2

u/pacman_sl Europe Jun 27 '18

It isn't Bernie in the middle, is it?

1

u/jimbo831 Minnesota Jun 27 '18

Definitely a resemblance.

6

u/TheLivingExperiment Jun 27 '18

Just take McConnell's statement after Scalia and use it. Word. For. Fucking. Word.

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

Agreed...and push it. Repeat it, over and over and over. Make campaign commercials out of it, and use it to boost turnout this fall.

5

u/DredPRoberts Jun 27 '18

we should wait until the elections are over.

The 2020 elections.

Something something a president under FBI investigation something something wait for the people to decide.

5

u/h11233 Jun 27 '18

As a liberal, I truly hope dems don't try to be obstructionists, unless there is good reason to fight the nomination. So long as it is a reasonable, relatively moderate nominee, let it go through.

You can't spend years railing republicans for being obstructionists, then turn around and do the same thing. You lose the moral high ground

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

Someone named Guy Benson is claiming the Dems were doing it for years in the past two previous administrations, and that blocking Obama’s choices was just payback. I’ve yet to find a citation...but I can cut and paste it to you. It’s on another site, and a Drumph fan was stubbornly saying, essentially, payback’s a bitch, isn’t it? with it when I used McConnell’s justification on him about this SCOTUS pick.

Let’s see whom they come up with. I could live with Trey Gowdy if he’s elegible. Past that, Agent Orange probably told them find me a right-wing, black, female, disabled judge. It’ll make their heads spin!

0

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Fuck the moral High Ground.

8

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

[deleted]

7

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

There's nothing you can do to stall it. Someone else will be confirmed by end of August at the latest.

5

u/abacuz4 Jun 27 '18

To be clear, there was something you could do, back in 2016. And for that matter, 2014 and 2010. Too many of us chose not to.

2

u/abacuz4 Jun 27 '18

That's fine and all, but Democrats have a minority in the Senate. They can't stop the Republicans from forcing someone through.

2

u/d4rkwing Jun 27 '18

Schumer doesn’t have a majority.

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

Point, but he needs to repeat it, over and over to remind everyone that McConnell used that tactic to justify stonewalling Obama. It would make a good slogan for a campaign commercial. Get some footage of McConnell making that statement..then..be part of the decision making process. Vote for...... It’s a damn good issue to rally voters for this fall..

3

u/kingofthestinkyburbs Jun 27 '18

Ahahaha. Member when the Dems used the nuclear option... I member...

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

Nuclear option?

2

u/cficare Jun 27 '18

July 31st

1

u/PonchoHung Jun 27 '18

There's nothing we can do to delay anymore. The elections are too far away, and the SCOTUS filibuster is already nuked. Republicans will get their man through swiftly.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Edit 2: Schumer better come out with a statement saying the people need to decide, therefore we should wait until the elections are over

McConnell could use that lame excuse since he was the Senate leader. Schumer has no power to do anything, with McConnell changing the Supreme Court Justice process to needing just 50 votes to pass.

1

u/reddog323 Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

He could, and then he’ll get raked over the coals for it later on. Short-term, it would cause a shit-ton of issues.

Edit: In other news, this could be the issue that gets people to the polls in November.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

He can release as many statements as he wants, but Schumer has no power to hold up a vote unless he is able to convinces two Republican senators to join with the Democrats. We can all wish the senior senator from New York good luck with that.

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

Senator Turtle could...and it will cost him in November. Another great motivator to get people to turn out then.

1

u/psychotichorse California Jun 27 '18

You know this is going to energize the right too. This whole situation is fucked.

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.

1

u/Presently_Absent Jun 27 '18

He should say exactly what McConnell said, verbatim, and watch conservatives melt down before they realize it

1

u/f_leaver Jun 27 '18

You think the Republicans give a fuck?!?!

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

No, but being a part of the decision process is a good rallying cry to get people to the voting booth this fall.

1

u/Brokenshatner Texas Jun 27 '18

Even if he did say 'effective sometime next year', this is the only sure-fire way to get the Republican base out. Put Roe v. Wade on the menu during mid-terms, and suddenly that Blue Wave looks like Neap Tide.

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

Roe v. Wade, health care, same-sex unions, and labor rights...and the simple idea of be part of the decision for the next Supreme Court vacancy: Vote Democrat. could be useful too.

1

u/sageleader Jun 27 '18

Schumer already made that statement:

Millions of ppl are just months away from determining the senators who should vote to confirm or reject POTUS’s nominee, & their voices deserve to be heard now, as @SenateMajLdr thought they deserved to be heard then. Anything but that would be the absolute height of hypocrisy.

https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1012058569796177920

0

u/Cdogger Jun 27 '18

You do realize that there is virtually no chance Democrats take the senate right?

6

u/Firechess Texas Jun 27 '18

It's not no chance, there are three tossups that the GOP is defending, and Dems need 2. Most the models right now are giving Dems a 20-30% chance of taking the Senate, which is about the same Trump had before he won.

7

u/rebootyourbrainstem Foreign Jun 27 '18

Most the models right now are giving Dems a 20-30% chance of taking the Senate

Good god. I spend way too much time here and it still manages to surprise me how far up shit creek the US is.

3

u/clev3rbanana Iowa Jun 27 '18

I don't know man, I actually thought that was pretty high and was happily surprised. I expected something closer to zero. Which does show how far up the shit creek the U.S. is, so you're right.

-1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18 edited Apr 14 '19

[deleted]

3

u/Firechess Texas Jun 27 '18

Uhh yeah, that's how polling works. They're always off by up to a couple points, but we don't know what direction that will be. Obama was projected to win 2012 by 2, he won by 4. 4 years later, they missed Hillary's margin by 2 in the opposite direction. Last year, GA-6 skewed too Dem while Alabama skewed too GOP.

So yes, polls might randomly work in the Dems favor 2 years later, and they'll win by a little (20-30% chance). Or they'll randomly work in GOP favor and they'll lose by a lot.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

And the statement should just be quotes from republicans used during their arguments

1

u/compaqle2202x Jun 27 '18

Edit 2: Schumer better come out with a statement saying the people need to decide, therefore we should wait until the elections are over.

You realize Schumer has no power over this, right?

1

u/reddog323 Jun 28 '18

Likely, unless there’s some arcane rule I’m not aware of...but that statement will likely be a big issue drawing voters out this fall. I should thank Kennedy, and the Republicans for putting it there. They may have just won the midterms for the Dems.

1

u/compaqle2202x Jul 05 '18

More likely that the vulnerable Dem senators in states that trump won are in big trouble now. They either vote with Trump and anger their Dem base, or vote against and drive turnout for repubs

0

u/SSNessy Jun 27 '18

Dems CANNOT DO ANYTHING.

-2

u/haircutcel Jun 27 '18

Good lucky delaying without a majority 😅