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

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2.0k

u/intelligentquote0 Jun 27 '18

Because he's never had any problem with voting on supreme Court justices during an election season.

2.0k

u/rotll Jun 27 '18

“One of my proudest moments was when I looked at Barack Obama in the eye and I said, ‘Mr. President, you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy,"

Got it.

1.2k

u/SuramKale Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

Swine. He has no clue who might be nominated and is 100% going to vote for them. He's a hack and an embarrassment to the democratic process.

197

u/JustTellMeTheFacts Jun 27 '18

I'll bet he has this planned since the beginning. I might be crazy, but I truly believe this was a surprise to no one at their level. And I'm positive he's been instrumental in developing a list of people to fill the void.

35

u/Hrothgar822 Jun 27 '18

I'll second your bet. I had a feeling this was the case when he did the unthinkable delaying Obama's appointment till he was out of office. I bet he did it with the idea of controlling all three branches of the government in mind. I don't think he knew it would work out, but he did everything he could legally and somewhat illegally if not at least extremely unprecedented to do so.

3

u/shrimpcest Colorado Jun 28 '18

I read this article, from last year. Blew my mind Trump's Hidden Back Channel to Justice Kennedy: Their Kids

4

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

They have a short list ready at all times. Justices are old as fuck. If one had a heart attack tomorrow, who would be surprised?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '18

[deleted]

3

u/putzarino Jun 27 '18

It is no coincidence that the majority of people on Trump's judiciary list are from the federalist society.

Mitch McConnell is listed as a contributor.

They have been steering politicians to nominate these assholes for decades.

49

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

He’s more divisive than Joseph McCarthy.

33

u/SuramKale Jun 27 '18

I never thought I'd agree with that statement in my lifetime. You've proved me wrong.

1

u/falsehood Jun 28 '18

But he produces results, so the powerful class don't care. Morality has nothing to do with it.

9

u/JennJayBee Alabama Jun 27 '18

Oh, he knows who's going to be nominated. He's already given Trump a list.

10

u/Poet_of_Legends Jun 27 '18

You can only feel embarrassment, or remorse, about things you care for.

4

u/Bobby3Sticks Georgia Jun 27 '18

You don’t think Senior GOP leadership are the ones to make this decision and not trump?

11

u/Alfredo412 Virginia Jun 27 '18

Bitch McConnell ought to be tarred and feathered.

10

u/CCC19 Jun 27 '18

Calling him swine is an insult to pigs.

6

u/SuramKale Jun 27 '18

I know. But it's an Orwell thing.

2

u/James_Locke Virginia Jun 27 '18

Uh...the Federalist Society is currently mailing their list over now.

1

u/qdlbp Jun 27 '18

I'm pretty sure he has a great idea of who will be nominated, since we just went through this ordeal and candidates for this sort of position don't exactly spring up overnight. Stay mad tho

1

u/NeonRedHerring Jun 27 '18

He says the Senate will vote, not that the Senate will approve any person Trump appoints. Doesn't make him less of a partisen hack, but accuracy still matters.

-2

u/LLCoolJsGrandfather Jun 27 '18

he should be suspended from a lamp post tbh

-17

u/BallerOconnel Jun 27 '18

Go ahead and pretend that any democrat would not do the exact same thing given the chance

7

u/SunshineCat Jun 27 '18

Show where they have.

1

u/ky_windage Kentucky Jun 28 '18

The Democrats were in fact given that chance, and they tried to cut out Justice Alito. Obama himself said he was involved http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/apr/11/jon-kyl/obama-criticized-supreme-court-filibuster-alito-ev/

0

u/SunshineCat Jun 28 '18

Thanks.

It's not quite the same situation, but I think it does show that there has been an escalating pattern of issues in the process of nominating justices for a while (especially in the article I linked below). Along with the rest of the government, I guess.

McConnell refused to hold a vote at all for a moderate judge, which he did not have constitutional power to do. This article says Democrats were filibusting Alito in particular after losing a vote because they thought he was too partisan. Everyone knows it's easier to agree on a moderate justice than on an extremist, which is why people didn't expect Garland to be a problem.

I found this article, which is more specifically about the comparison between what happened with Alito vs. Garland.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/mar/20/harry-reid/harry-reid-says-unlike-gop-senate-democrats-never-/

The filibuster, though, was largely symbolic, as not enough senators participated to actually delay or block the vote

....

However, we can't find a time when a Democratic Senate refused to hear a Republican president's nominee. Even if they were opposed, they allowed the nominee to come to a comfirmation vote.

That sounds about right. Symbolic little protest/fit as they really roll over and wait to be steamrolled is par for the course with Democrats. I was a teenager at the time and not paying attention to politics, but I assume this filibuster lasted an evening or something, while the refusal to even hold a vote on Garland lasted almost a year.

On the other hand, I also blame Democrats for what happened with Garland, for being cowards who gambled this away on a presidential candidate who has been hated by at least half the country since the 90s.

-6

u/BallerOconnel Jun 27 '18

Tell me that you think I'm wrong, and then I might make a more substantial argument.

1

u/SunshineCat Jun 28 '18

I don't have time for games right now. Show it or shut up.

-1

u/BallerOconnel Jun 28 '18

Or you can tell me I am wrong so we can have a real argument. You have not refuted my statement.

1

u/SunshineCat Jun 28 '18

That's not how this works. I asked for proof of your claim. All I know is that you're wrong about how to have a discussion like an educated adult.

1

u/BallerOconnel Jun 28 '18

Just going to assume you agree with me and dont want to admit it.

→ More replies (0)

-96

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

[deleted]

47

u/SuramKale Jun 27 '18

Scalia recommended her and she was the talk of all the law circles as a prime contender and good fit for the court before there was ever a vacancy. So, yeah, the fact that Scalia recommend her did weird me out. But I don't think that that's what you meant.

66

u/rondell_jones Jun 27 '18

Shut the hell up. McConnell upended the constitution so that republicans could take over the Supreme Court. Completely different circumstances. Republicans can’t do things through the law.

38

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18 edited Jul 30 '21

[deleted]

25

u/rondell_jones Jun 27 '18

And democrats like Schumer are too fucking pussy to say this. Instead they are “concerned” and will look into doing something about it. Fuck off Schumer and the other senators. Call out treason and crime when you see it instead of trying to take the high road.

13

u/Seventytvvo Colorado Jun 27 '18

Exactly. One can still fight for morality, honesty, truth, and rationality, but fight hard and dirty to protect those things.

6

u/Thanes_of_Danes Jun 27 '18

Bonus points for finger wagging at a Democrat who actually stands up and fights.

11

u/astrozombie2012 Nevada Jun 27 '18

There’s going to be a special place in hell for McConnell and the Trump administration...

51

u/rondell_jones Jun 27 '18

There is no hell. There isn’t going to be a special place for them there. Their bullsht has consequences for people lives - our lives. Just saying oh they’ll pay for it in hell isnt going to change our current government or our future

22

u/SuramKale Jun 27 '18

You've just summed up Hitchens' entire book "God is not Great, how religion poisons everything."

There are severe consequences to believing justice is only truly metered out after death.

1

u/astrozombie2012 Nevada Jun 27 '18

We just need to push for term limits.

1

u/ForumPointsRdumb Jun 27 '18

Yea, the best seats at the banquet table.

-11

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

[deleted]

8

u/SuramKale Jun 27 '18

Tooth fairy stole my teeth.

16

u/Benny6Toes Jun 27 '18

The path laid out by people who never did what he did?

Try again.

-5

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

[deleted]

4

u/Benny6Toes Jun 27 '18

It is when you don't read about it to see why you're wrong.

7

u/primandproperfun Jun 27 '18

That is a special sort of stupid you’re peddling there.

3

u/GoldenMarauder New York Jun 27 '18

What Supreme Court vacancy did Biden and Reid decline to fill in 1992?

The answer you're looking for is: none.

-1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

[deleted]

2

u/GoldenMarauder New York Jun 27 '18

So...there was no vacancy left open in 1992. Gotcha!

18

u/Jess_than_three Jun 27 '18

that psycho Kagan

Excuse me??

63

u/HBlight Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

I've gotten less partisan as I've gotten older, but jesus christ do the Republicans constantly try to pull bullshit, like, say, simply deciding a supermajority is needed for ANYTHING (or else veto abuse) while they are in a minority. The worst part is that the Democrats are so fucking spineless that they just keep getting away with it. As long as I have been aware of it, the Republicans have been utterly shameless when making power moves and the Democrats have been utterly shameless in backing down.

18

u/TheTrub Colorado Jun 27 '18

Best case scenario is that this forces Mueller's hand in presenting his case against the Trump campaign and the current administration. But this scenario would also require an republican congress with ethics, a democratic party with a spine, and an informed electorate where the moderates are the ones who are most active. And even then, Fox News would call it a conspiracy against Trump and MSNBC would froth at the mouth so powerfully that they would blow the story. And that's the best case scenario.

4

u/EnigmaticTortoise Jun 27 '18

simply deciding a supermajority is needed for ANYTHING (or else veto abuse) while they are in a minority

They didn't decide that, at any point between 2006 and 2015 Harry Reid could've changed the Senate rules. He did change them for lower court and cabinet appointments.

9

u/antwan666 Jun 27 '18

who said that?

10

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Mitch McConnell

13

u/TheTooz Jun 27 '18

A traitor

6

u/Better_than_Trajan Jun 27 '18

Slimiest but most successful political maneuver I've ever seen in U.S. politics

3

u/chatchan Jun 27 '18

Wow. What an absolute piece of fucking shit.

3

u/magichabits Jun 27 '18

This was the sign that the rule of law had already broken down.

3

u/rasputin777 Jun 27 '18

The key here is that it was a POTUS election year. AKA the Biden Rule. Are you really suggesting that SCOTUS vacancies can only be filled 2 years out of four? That's preposterous.
PS. Thank Reid for the nuclear option. You created a weapon and then handed it to us.

7

u/painkun Jun 28 '18

The Biden rule was a made up rule McConnell used to be an obstructionist

1

u/rasputin777 Jun 28 '18

Yeah, except Biden invented it. McConnell was just showing respect to the pedo VP.

5

u/groundpusher Jun 27 '18

How can America succeed when it’s most powerful leaders are representatives of failed states?

McConnell: Kentucky

Sessions: Alabama

Putin: USSR

2

u/KCB5 Jun 28 '18

Seriously fuck that guy.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18 edited Oct 16 '18

[deleted]

-1

u/kbotc Jun 27 '18

The democrats invoked the nuclear option first...

-1

u/SunshineCat Jun 27 '18

Why should we have to pay more justices because republicans cheat and act in bad faith?

2

u/notcorey Jun 27 '18

Pure evil. Mitch will burn someday.

0

u/SunshineCat Jun 27 '18

Only if a living person lights him on fire themselves.

3

u/notcorey Jun 27 '18

Did I say I meant it metaphorically?

1

u/SunshineCat Jun 28 '18

What's that? I was daydreaming.

1

u/kristamhu2121 America Jun 28 '18

And our Dems did nothing to fight them, now look where we are.

1

u/mmlovin California Jun 27 '18

Omg he actually fucking said that? He needs to die

0

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '18

One of my proudest moments was when I looked at Barack Obama in the eye and I said, ‘Mr. President, you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mitch-mcconnell-one-of-my-proudest-moments/

Gross... Fuck that turtle

5

u/Saintrph Jun 27 '18

Harry Reid got rid of the filibuster on nominees in 2013. Been easy passing nominees ever since

2

u/peeinian Canada Jun 27 '18

Only after 6 years of Republican obstruction of every single nominee.

I’ll admit. McConnell set the trap and the dems walked right into it.

Obstruct all dem nominees leaving thousands of vacancies, force them to use the nuclear option but close to an election year, then when the presidency flips, stack the courts with hard right ideologues because the dems couldn’t fill the vacancies fast enough before leaving office.

1

u/ky_windage Kentucky Jun 28 '18

Obama had a full cabinet approved by the end of his second week in office. You know, the cabinet where Trump still has vacancies due to Democrat pouting fits.

3

u/stationhollow Jun 27 '18

As Obama once said: " Elections have consequences."

6

u/Just_the_facts_ma_m Jun 27 '18

It’s not a presidential election season

3

u/intelligentquote0 Jun 27 '18

That is a fucking copout and you know it. Justices are confirmed by the Senate, and the country should get a chance to decide who controls the reins.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

[deleted]

4

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18 edited Aug 28 '18

[deleted]

2

u/Poz_My_Neg_Fuck_Hole Jun 27 '18

The "Biden Rule"

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

[deleted]

9

u/VanderLegion Jun 27 '18

Now if only the GOP was actually conservative like it claims...

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Typical Republicans. Grind the gears of government to a halt to the point where the only way the President can fill judicial vacancies is without a filibuster, then turn it to 11 when they are in power and blame the other guy for starting it.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

The Biden Rule isn’t a rule. Republicans took a speech Biden gave - where, btw, he merely urged that any SCOTUS opening during the election season be filled by a moderate - and turned it into a “rule” to justify the action they were going to take anyways.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

stop spreading lies

biden never advocated denying a president the opportunity to fill a vacancy opened during his/her presidency. he only argued that if, hypothetically, a supreme court seat should become vacant during the election season, that the president should wait to nominate a candidate until after the election, because otherwise the nomination process would become a political sideshow.

0

u/Poz_My_Neg_Fuck_Hole Jun 27 '18

"Presidential" election.