Nightmare Scenario

[Hypoxia]

The US Senate will be in recess between 19 Dec 2016 and 2 Jan 2017. The Constitution says, “the President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.”

That's an open window. Mr Obama, who would suffer no political damage, could recess-appoint whomever he wants to SCOTUS -- maybe Bill Clinton? -- and fill the HUNDREDS of Federal court vacancies the GOP have blocked for years. They might not be confirmed at the next session, but a lot can happen in two years, eh?

The Nightmare Scenario (for GOPs)

NOVEMBER: Votes are cast. HRC gets over 50% of the popular vote and a kick-ass majority of electoral votes. That's a mandate, folks. Dems take the Senate. GOPs keep the House, but not by much, just enough to be endless trouble -- or they could lose that, too, heh heh.

DECEMBER: Senate goes into year-end recess. Lame-duck president Barack Husssein Obama recess-appoints former law professor William Jefferson Clinton as Associate Justice onf the US Supreme Court. For fun, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg retires. The President appoints whats-his-name Garland to replace her, to mollify moderates, if any.

JANUARY: Senate session starts. First day, Democratic majority kills or weakens the filibuster rule. Nothing can stop them now! Meanwhile, all those new federal judges start vacating states' voter suppression laws. The national Demo majority is unleashed for the next elections. And all this is even before Ms Hillary R Clinton is inaugurated as the 45th president, with Justice William J Clinton standing by her side.

ONWARD: Obstructions-R-Us. The GOP house will pass bills the Demo Senate will ignore, and vice-versa. Or the Demo House and Demo Senate will work together and pass all sortsa shit for HRC to rubber-stamp. But Demo congresscritters will be nervous, knowing that Bernie's people creep up on them, twisting Democrats to again be a people's party, not corporate whores. Meanwhile, court cases against Donald Tromp go forward. And Nancy Pelosi will win the Nobel Peace Prize. That should cause a few GOP cardiac arrests.

EDIT: After the electoral carnage, Trompsters will secede from corporate GOP to form the POT (Party of Tromp). Stay tuned for the upcoming People's Party secession from the Demos. Make it the People's Pot Party (PPP) and it'll really swing!

 

[removed9556]

 

[Stewart_Pidd]

The US Senate will be in recess between 19 Dec 2016 and 2 Jan 2017. The Constitution says, “the President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.”

That's an open window. Mr Obama, who would suffer no political damage, could recess-appoint whomever he wants to SCOTUS -- maybe Bill Clinton? -- and fill the HUNDREDS of Federal court vacancies the GOP have blocked for years. They might not be confirmed at the next session, but a lot can happen in two years, eh?

The Nightmare Scenario (for GOPs)

NOVEMBER: Votes are cast. HRC gets over 50% of the popular vote and a kick-ass majority of electoral votes. That's a mandate, folks. Dems take the Senate. GOPs keep the House, but not by much, just enough to be endless trouble -- or they could lose that, too, heh heh.

DECEMBER: Senate goes into year-end recess. Lame-duck president Barack Husssein Obama recess-appoints former law professor William Jefferson Clinton as Associate Justice onf the US Supreme Court. For fun, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg retires. The President appoints whats-his-name Garland to replace her, to mollify moderates, if any.

JANUARY: Senate session starts. First day, Democratic majority kills or weakens the filibuster rule. Nothing can stop them now! Meanwhile, all those new federal judges start vacating states' voter suppression laws. The national Demo majority is unleashed for the next elections. And all this is even before Ms Hillary R Clinton is inaugurated as the 45th president, with Justice William J Clinton standing by her side.

ONWARD: Obstructions-R-Us. The GOP house will pass bills the Demo Senate will ignore, and vice-versa. Or the Demo House and Demo Senate will work together and pass all sortsa shit for HRC to rubber-stamp. But Demo congresscritters will be nervous, knowing that Bernie's people creep up on them, twisting Democrats to again be a people's party, not corporate whores. Meanwhile, court cases against Donald Tromp go forward. And Nancy Pelosi will win the Nobel Peace Prize. That should cause a few GOP cardiac arrests.

EDIT: After the electoral carnage, Trompsters will secede from corporate GOP to form the POT (Party of Tromp). Stay tuned for the upcoming People's Party secession from the Demos. Make it the People's Pot Party (PPP) and it'll really swing!

too bad Robert Ludlum is dead. he would have called this novel "Trumped" bro.

Stew

 

[Adjudicator]

No - in the short and long term, if not the medium term, the GOP nightmare would be if Trump won. If he loses, they can use it as an example of not letting the little people so close to the decision-making. If he wins, though...

I must agree. The GOP needs Trump to lose. Then they can spin the loss, blame it on any number of 'issues.' If he wins, the GOP will have destroyed the United States.

 

[about_average]

I don't think Obama would appoint Clinton, I think he'd stay with Merrick Garland.
There's zero evidence he's the anti-gun nut so many claim and there wouldn't be enough votes in the senate to not confirm him even if the GOP retains control.
Clinton, on the other hand....

 

[JohnnySavage]

With the Dems poised to take the Senate, Clinton should appoint Obama.

 

[Hypoxia]

With the Dems poised to take the Senate, Clinton should appoint Obama.

Then there would be confirmation hearings which GOPs could filibuster and block unless the Dems make rule changes on 3 Jan 2017. And Obama has hinted he wants to get his family away from DC soonest. Maybe as UN ambassador, hmm?

Further nightmare: I just saw a news item that HRC is considering Biden for SecState. Suppose, just suppose, that HRC and Obama collaborate (heh heh) and Obama appoints Hillary's cabinet for her, again bypassing GOP obstructions. On 20 Dec 2016, some high-level resignations quickly replaced by recess appointments. Biden resigns as VP; Obama names Colin Powell as VP-for-a-month and Biden as SecState for 25 months. Similar maneuvers throughout the cabinet. HRC will already have her gov't in place on Inauguration Day. Full speed ahead!
___

Reality time. Could all this happen? Sure, it's quite legal. Should it happen? That depends on how the Obama-Clinton machine sees the future, how they calculate popular reaction. Will it happen? Likely not. Obama doesn't seem so adventurous. But it's fun to contemplate. Just how much do the Dems want to fuck the GOPs?

 

[twistedsickmind]

"Just how much do the Dems want to fuck the GOPs?"

Just as much as they want to fuck every other American. Just like the elitist class of the Republican party does. There is no substantial difference between the Progressive elitist in either party. I never held that opinion, nor could anyone have convinced me of that until this election.

I am not a Trump supporter. I think he is a despicable person. But the reactions to him from every side has shown me a face of the political establishment I never saw before. time for a new political party.

 

[Paul_Chance]

Of course, to stop it, all that has to happen is either the house or the senate not consent to going into recess. (Harry Reid did it for two years when he controlled the Senate - refused to recess the Senate for more than three days.). This falls more into paranoid fantasy or wishful thinking (depending on which side you fall).

If one party again wins the house, senate, and presidency then it's a moot point anyway.

 

[Hard_Rom]

If one party again wins the house, senate, and presidency then it's a moot point anyway.

That's called a majority up here and ensures stability and assurances that things will get done.

 

[Tryharder62]

Bill Clinton lost his license to practice law so that month is shot.

 

[Bookishleigh]

With the Dems poised to take the Senate, Clinton should appoint Obama.

YOU just made me orgasm a little with this statement.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Bill Clinton lost his license to practice law so that month is shot.

You don't need to have a license to practice law... or even a law degree, to be on the Supreme Court.

 

[BotanyBoy]

All the progressives....and 'fuck the 1%' crowd.....

Totally fucking terrified of anyone other than a Goldman Sachs employee in the WH.

Shit's hysterical.

 

[Tryharder62]

You don't need to have a license to practice law... or even a law degree, to be on the Supreme Court.

Are you kidding me? I never knew that. Sheeeeeees!

 

[Hypoxia]

Of course, to stop it, all that has to happen is either the house or the senate not consent to going into recess. (Harry Reid did it for two years when he controlled the Senate - refused to recess the Senate for more than three days.).

As I understand it, this end-of-session recess is mandatory. Pro-forma sessions can happen any other time. And a president can make many recess appointments in three days.

If one party again wins the house, senate, and presidency then it's a moot point anyway.

Not really. GOP senators have pledged to shitcan every single fucking HRC appointment. Without recess appointments the only way around that is to deny GOPs the ability to filibuster and block, either by changing the rules on 3 Jan 2017, or by voters keeping the GOP senator count below 40.

Bill Clinton lost his license to practice law so that month is shot.

SCOTUS members don't need law licenses.

Unlike other branches, the Constitution has no restrictions nor requirements for the judiciary. A president can name anyone or anything he wants. They could appoint a relative, a janitor, a horse, an AI, or a rock. That's right, the Constitution doesn't say a judge or justice must be a 'person'. And a recess appointment of an AI, although bloody controversial, would still be legal. Probably.

 

[RoryN]

http://i.imgur.com/xLW2jZ0.gif

 

[Aglaopheme]

I hope it trickles all down the ticket with an eye on 2020 redistricting.

 

[Aglaopheme]

http://i.imgur.com/xLW2jZ0.gif

Love it!

 

[phrodeau]

Supreme Court is a long game. Bill Clinton is too old.

 

[Hypoxia]

Supreme Court is a long game. Bill Clinton is too old.

Yeah, of course. Maybe Kamela Harris after Loretta Sanchez beats her?

 

[Stewart_Pidd]

Yeah, of course. Maybe Kamela Harris after Loretta Sanchez beats her?

fuck that, put Samuel L Jackson on the SCOTUS bro.

Stew

 

[Hypoxia]

fuck that, put Samuel L Jackson on the SCOTUS bro.

Too old. Maybe Lady Gaga.

 

[Conager]

.....

 

[snugglestruggle]

Neither would have a mandate unless they won by a double digit lead in the popular vote. That's why so few presidents have ever had a mandate.

Just for the sake of argument % points. That does not mean elected officials bend over and take it in the ass and hand the new president whatever they want. They still have their duties to discharge, otherwise the president is a dictator.