memeorandum: If Republicans block Obama's Supreme Court nomination, he wins anyway (Linda Hirshman/Washington Post)

1:30 PM ET, February 14, 2016

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Senior U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia found dead at West Texas ranch — Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead of apparent natural causes Saturday on a luxury resort in West Texas, federal officials said. — Scalia, 79, was a guest at the Cibolo Creek Ranch …

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Linda Hirshman / Washington Post:

If Republicans block Obama's Supreme Court nomination, he wins anyway — After Justice Antonin Scalia's death Saturday at 79, the Supreme Court is now evenly divided between four liberal justices and four conservatives, even with Anthony Kennedy's occasional swings.

Discussion: Mashable

Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:

Is a recess appointment to the Court an option? (UPDATED) — UPDATED Sunday 8:48 a.m. The Senate is currently in recess until February 22. The recess began on Friday. Whether this opens an opportunity for a recess appointment depends upon how Senate leaders interpret an adjournment resolution approved last Friday.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Politico and The Resurgent

Scott Lemieux / Guardian:

Antonin Scalia's legacy: blistering zingers and a more partisan America — The US supreme court justice will be remembered more for his dissents than legal opinions that changed lives. Given his analyses, that may be for the best — hen Antonin Scalia was nominated to the US supreme court …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politico, Constitution Daily, The Talking Dog, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Vox and Raw Story

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

The Next Supreme Court Nominee — Let me put down a few thoughts about two circulating talking points on the possible treatment of a nominee to replace Scalia. Here is the Times framing the use of the filibuster: — Filibusters of Supreme Court nominations are rare …

Lydia Wheeler / The Hill:

Judiciary chair: ‘Standard practice’ to not confirm SCOTUS nominee in election year — It is “standard practice” to not confirm nominations to the Supreme Court in an election year, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Saturday, following news of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

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Jessica Hopper / ABC News:

Ted Cruz Plans to Filibuster Any Supreme Court Nominee Made by President Obama

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Peter Baker / New York Times:

Battle Begins Over Naming Next Justice — The death of Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday immediately set off a partisan battle over a vacancy that could reshape the Supreme Court for years to come, as Senate Republicans called on President Obama to let his successor fill the seat.

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Amy Howe / SCOTUSblog:
Supreme Court vacancies in presidential election years

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New York Times:
Justice Antonin Scalia's Supreme Court Legacy

Discussion: Prairie Weather and Daily Kos

New York Times:
How Long Does It Take to Confirm a Supreme Court Nominee?

Discussion: Guardian, Trail Blazers Blog and The Scoop Blog

Tom Goldstein / SCOTUSblog:
What happens to this Term's close cases? (Updated)

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Gabriel Malor / The Federalist:
There's Ample Precedent For Rejecting Lame Duck Supreme Court Nominees

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and The Moderate Voice

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Conservatives Quickly Refuse Any Obama Court Replacement After Antonin Scalia's Death

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Glenn Thrush / Politico:
McConnell throws down the gauntlet: No Scalia replacement under Obama

Discussion: Towleroad, Washington Post, Unqualified Offerings and Vox

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at 79

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
The Simply Breathtaking Consequences Of Justice Scalia's Death

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Ross Douthat / New York Times:
Antonin Scalia, Conservative Legal Giant

Discussion: Power Line, The Atlantic and Slate

Josh Blackman / Josh Blackman's Blog:
Nominations to Supreme Court in Election Year with Divided and Unified Governments

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Washington Post:
Why the death of a Supreme Court justice in office is unusual

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Harper Neidig / The Hill:
McConnell: Don't replace Scalia until after election

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Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
How Scalia's Death Will Change the Supreme Court, America, and the Planet

Discussion: Slantpoint, The Daily Beast, Weekly Standard and Politicus USA

Darren Hunt / KVIA-TV:
BREAKING: Supreme Court Justice Scalia dies during hunting trip in Marfa

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CNN:
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at 79

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Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Antonin Scalia, Justice on the Supreme Court, Dies at 79

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Liz Goodwin / Yahoo Politics:
GOP candidates urge Senate to block Obama's Supreme Court pick

Discussion: Politico, ABC News and The Hill

Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:
Mitch McConnell rules out replacing Antonin Scalia until new president is elected

Discussion: RedState and JustOneMinute

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dead at 79

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CBS News:

Poll: South Carolina still solidly for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton — The CBS News Battleground Tracker poll Donald Trump keeps a large lead in South Carolina, bolstered by support from conservatives and also from evangelical voters, who make up a large share of the electorate here.

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Michael C. Bender / Bloomberg Business:

The ‘You Lie’ Debate: Republicans Running Out of Time to Stop Trump in South Carolina — A Republican slugfest in South Carolina Saturday night pitted Marco Rubio against Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush against John Kasich and Donald Trump against just about all of them.

Discussion: TIME

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

Cruz starts speaking Spanish after Rubio says he doesn't know the language … Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio clashed vigorously on illegal immigration during the Republican presidential debate Saturday night, with the candidates at one point tussling over who speaks Spanish.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, U.S. News, Washington Post, Trail Blazers Blog, Infowars, Mashable and The Week

Matthew Boyle / Breitbart:

Exclusive — Donald Trump, Ted Cruz Campaigns Bash RNC for Stacking Audience with Pro-Amnesty Donor Class — GREENVILLE, South Carolina — Corey Lewandowski, the campaign manager for 2016 GOP frontrunner billionaire Donald Trump, bashed the Republican National Committee (RNC) …

Noah Weiland / Politico:
Trump dominates talking time at Republican debate

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Katie Glueck / Politico:

Trump blames George W. Bush for 9/11 — Donald Trump invoked the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center to tear into Jeb Bush at Saturday night's debate, saying they were in part a result of George W. Bush's national security failures. — “The World Trade Center came down during your brother's reign.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Yahoo Politics, Liberal Values and Raw Story

Sean Sullivan / Washington Post:
Republican debate: Raised voices, name calling and personal attacks

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Patrick Healy / New York Times:
In Republican Debate, Jeb Bush Attacks Donald Trump

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Elizabeth Price Foley / Instapundit:

COULD OBAMA MAKE A RECESS APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE SCALIA?: The answer appears to be “yes,” because (once again), the GOP-controlled Senate voluntarily has left itself vulnerable to the exercise of such presidential power. Article II, section 2 of the Constitution gives the President power to fill vacancies …

Discussion: Fox News

Kate Bowler / New York Times:

Death, the Prosperity Gospel and Me — Durham, N.C. — ON a Thursday morning a few months ago, I got a call from my doctor's assistant telling me that I have Stage 4 cancer. The stomach cramps I was suffering from were not caused by a faulty gallbladder, but by a massive tumor. — I am 35.