What a more conservative Supreme Court would mean

This is a very thorough analysis

Tipping the Scales https://t.co/PJl9lC0BxE via @nybooks

— Thomas Edsall (@Edsall) July 1, 2018

another take

This is certainly what Trump’s list of 25 potential nominees portends: an end to Kennedy-like “perfidies of moderation.”https://t.co/TxAYWqMAt3

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) July 1, 2018

Trump says he won’t ask Supreme Court candidates about Roe v. Wade

He doesn’t have to. He has a list of vetted candidates and I’m sure they wouldn’t be on the list if they were not anti-abortion.

No one who has survived in politics as long as Susan Collins has is actually this naive. https://t.co/r42WvhdbPa

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) July 1, 2018

Tapper: Dont you think Neil Gorsuch, whom you voted for, will probably vote to overturn Roe?
Collins: "I actually don't."
This proves how flimsy Collins' pro-Roe position is. She is perfectly happy to let herself be suckered based on phony assurances about "precedent"

— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) July 1, 2018

Trump basically signals he will appoint a judge who could overturn Roe v. Wade, even as he says he may not directly ask the question because people told him he shouldn’t. pic.twitter.com/UbOC8SeLII

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) July 1, 2018

The logic @SenatorCollins used to Tapper to create a framework for eventually supporting Trump’s pick defied credulity. But can Ds create enough 2020 threat to move her from that position, as logically incoherent (Roberts/Gorsuch are friends of #Roe?) as it was? https://t.co/F74VP3hvUM

— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) July 1, 2018

To be clearer here after a reader email – they’ve addressed their views on constitutionality of Roe v Wade previously. There is a school of thought among some senior Rs that for Kavanaugh it’s a lesser issue. But as for how they view the law,’they’ve all stated it. https://t.co/C1lmr05BgV

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 1, 2018

lots of fantasy-world thinking going around https://t.co/JnWW8svU1k

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) July 1, 2018

Important Supreme Court case will be heard this fall

If Trump pardons himself or others, state AG’s could still prosecute for state crimes as I explained: https://t.co/XP7wDST8Sj. BUT this new case the Supreme Court took yesterday may slam that door. Trump’s nominee to replace Kennedy must agree to recuse. https://t.co/qP4lFmRaEg

— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) June 29, 2018

Age of the remaining eight Supreme Court justices

Remaining Supreme Court justices by age and appointing president:

▪️ Ginsburg: 85 (Clinton)
▪️ Breyer: 79 (Clinton)
▪️ Thomas: 70 (H.W. Bush)
▪️ Alito Jr.: 68 (W. Bush)
▪️ Sotomayor: 64 (Obama)
▪️ Roberts: 63 (W. Bush)
▪️ Kagan: 58 (Obama)
▪️ Gorsuch: 50 (Trump) pic.twitter.com/5JJKqpnKeL

— AJ+ (@ajplus) June 27, 2018

Republicans have had the majority on the Supreme Court for 46 years

Talk about the countermajoritarian difficulty: There has been a Republican majority on the Supreme Court for 46 years. A Democrat has held the White House for 20 of those years, and won the popular vote for presidencies with terms spanning 25+ years. https://t.co/lYroLTJL73

— Robert Gordon (@robertmgordon) June 27, 2018

This has slightly different dates but the basic fact of long-term Republican control remains.

Reminder: the last time the US Supreme Court had a majority of justices appointed by Democratic presidents was just before the resignation of Abe Fortas on May 14, 1969, over 49 years ago. https://t.co/MYKeYFAng0

— L. David Baron (@davidbaron) June 27, 2018

Kennedy’s retirement is bad for abortion rights

Legal abortion is in danger when Justice Kennedy is replaced by a more conservative justice. Polling shows the majority of Americans favor legal abortions but Republicans only care about their agenda.

This article states: “As of 2017, public support for legal abortion remains as high as it has been in two decades of polling. Currently, 57% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 40% say it should be illegal in all or most cases.”

It also states: “About two-thirds of Republicans (65%) say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. By contrast, three-quarters (75%) of Democrats say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Among independents, 60% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.”

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is retiring. Among other things, his replacement will likely overturn Roe v. Wade, which will allow states to prohibit abortion. The consequences of the 2016 election have never been more stark.

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) June 27, 2018

There's about to be a lot of talk about abortion rights: https://t.co/CHvd1z8FXW

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 27, 2018

Kennedy’s retirement ensures Roe v. Wade will be overturned. Here’s how it will happen: https://t.co/DhC4XF5JEh pic.twitter.com/1ygAryGvKG

— Slate (@Slate) June 27, 2018

Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court is a death knell for Roe v. Wade. Via @LemieuxLGM https://t.co/gOjpGekWE8 pic.twitter.com/w7wjSh3GYZ

— Reuters Opinion (@ReutersOpinion) June 27, 2018

Anthony Kennedy is retiring. Abortion will be illegal in twenty states in 18 months. #SCOTUS

— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) June 27, 2018

The Kennedy vacancy brings abortion rights to the fore in the midterms because women can no longer take Roe v. Wade and judicial protection of reproductive rights for granted.

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) June 27, 2018

But the @GOP senators who have supported abortion rights—Collins and Murkowski—face their own fateful decisions, as this appointee would spell the death knell for Roe v. Wade.

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) June 27, 2018

A SCOTUS without Kennedy is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade and maybe let the federal government ban abortion, eliminate gay rights, and end affirmative action.

But her fucking emails.

— Touré (@Toure) June 27, 2018

With the departure of Anthony Kennedy, Roe’s “firewall,” abortion could soon be banned or all-but-banned in conservative parts of the United States: https://t.co/qtfAScoxGM

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 27, 2018

Lisa Murkowski, the other Republican to watch: “Roe is one of those factors that I will weigh, just as I weighed it with the other nominations that came before us. Is it the only factor that I weigh? No.”

— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) June 27, 2018

Susan Collins: “I view Roe v. Wade as being settled law. It’s clearly precedent and I always look for judges who respect precedent.”

— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) June 27, 2018

Some Republicans would have voted against ANY Clinton Supreme Court nominee

Don’t forget this when considering Trump’s pick to replace Kennedy.

Hey remember when Republican Senators thought Clinton was going to win, so they promised to shrink the Supreme Court? The GOP plays for keeps. If we want to win, we gotta fight as hard to entrench people power as they fight to entrench plutocrat power. https://t.co/eUPUtvBBBf
— Ezra Levin (@ezralevin) February 9, 2019

This is absolutely true.

McCain: https://t.co/drd5Zvecj8

Chuck Grassley and Orrin Hatch: https://t.co/qd1teGbEP9

And conservative pundits were beating this drum too: https://t.co/99fHGM4ki5 https://t.co/iVDnG1EfeY
— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) June 27, 2018

and don’t forget this either

McConnell blocked Garland during an election year https://t.co/hit54RvhAC
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 27, 2018

Well, I guess this technically is not court packing –> If Clinton Wins, Republicans Suggest Shrinking Size of Supreme Court https://t.co/tgCnFXLJbw
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) October 10, 2020

Three branches of government – a cartoon

I found this on Twitter.

There are three branches of government. Can you name them? pic.twitter.com/kMFp3FLbjr

— Jeffrey Levin (@jilevin) June 10, 2018

Don’t forget what Republicans did to Obama nominees

Trump and other Republicans whine about delays in approving his nominees. Part of the problem is the poor job the White House does in vetting – see the Ronny Jackson case.

Don’t forget that Republicans stole a Supreme Court seat by not voting on Garland and used similar tactics for other judicial nominees. This is one of the worst things they did:

Tom Cotton put a hold on Cassandra Butts simply because she was a friend of Barack Obama's that lasted for many months, through an illness, until she died without being confirmed. https://t.co/lB3hxgwAJh

— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) April 24, 2018

Casual reminder to arguably his worst moment: https://t.co/gCXYaQFAsT

— Elliot Malmberg (@LNU_Elliot) June 19, 2018

Cassandra Butts was an amazing person. May she Rest In Peace. And may @TomCottonAR feel unending shame. https://t.co/mcyzwl6Py6

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 24, 2018

No delay for Kavanaugh says the person who, purely out of spite for Obama, held up Cassandra Butts' nomination until she died. https://t.co/mlr6R57mNs

— Josh Dorner (@JoshDorner) September 24, 2018

What happens if Justice Kennedy retires?

If Trump appoints his successor, he will be more conservative than Kennedy is.