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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, The Gateway Pundit and Congress.gov
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David Axelrod: A surprising request from Justice Scalia — David Axelrod is CNN's senior political commentator and host of the podcast “The Axe Files.” He was senior adviser to President Barack Obama and chief strategist for the 2008 and 2012 Obama campaigns. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
Discussion:
Political Wire


Supreme Court vacancies in presidential election years — In the wake of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, questions have arisen about whether there is a standard practice of not nominating and confirming Supreme Court Justices during a presidential election year.
Discussion:
Politifact.com Truth …, The Huffington Post, Towleroad and Slantpoint


Official: Scalia died of heart attack — MARFA, Texas — The death certificate for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will list myocardial infarction — a heart attack — as the official cause of death, Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara told WFAA on Sunday.
Discussion:
Independent Journal Review, TPNN, Mediaite and New Republic

Ninth Circuit Judge Paul Watford is the most likely nominee to replace Antonin Scalia — In thinking about how to respond to the vacancy on the Supreme Court, the administration has two priorities. First, fill the Scalia seat by getting a nominee confirmed.
Discussion:
Above the Law, Slantpoint and Politico

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:
Weekly Standard, Guardian, Discourse.net, The White House, Politicus USA, RedState, Booman Tribune, The Resurgent, Reuters, Politico, The Reality-Based Community and Vox

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 …


Scalia is said to have died of a heart attack — MARFA, Tex. — Inside the cloistered chambers of the Supreme Court, Justice Antonin Scalia's days were highly regulated and predictable. He met with clerks, wrote opinions and appeared for arguments in the august courtroom on a schedule set months in advance.


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 and The Agonist


Scalia's death to be ruled a heart attack … MARFA, Texas — The Texas death certificate for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will list myocardial infarction or a heart attack as the official cause of death, Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara told WFAA on Sunday.
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, Associated Press and TPNN


After Antonin Scalia's Death, Fierce Battle Lines Emerge
Discussion:
Raw Story, Political Wire, Crooked Timber and Eduwonk

Antonin Scalia's legacy: blistering zingers and a more partisan America
Discussion:
Politico, ThinkProgress, Constitution Daily, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Vox, The Talking Dog and Raw Story

FLASHBACK: In 2007, Schumer Called For Blocking All Bush Supreme Court Nominations
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and National Review

Battle Begins Over Naming Next Justice
Discussion:
Mother Jones, BloombergView.com, JustOneMinute, Los Angeles Times, RealClearPolitics, Bloomberg Business, Vox, alan.com, CNN, Politico and Political Wire

Ted Cruz Plans to Filibuster Any Supreme Court Nominee Made by President Obama
Discussion:
Washington Post, abc11.com, Associated Press, The Week and BuzzFeed

Conservatives Quickly Refuse Any Obama Court Replacement After Antonin Scalia's Death

Judiciary chair: ‘Standard practice’ to not confirm SCOTUS nominee in election year
Discussion:
Vox, CBS News, Outside the Beltway, ABC News, WiredPen, RedState, The Moderate Voice, Towleroad and Politico

Mitch McConnell Voted To Confirm A Supreme Court Justice In Reagan's Final Year
Discussion:
Slantpoint and Politico

How Long Does It Take to Confirm a Supreme Court Nominee?
Discussion:
Politicus USA, Guardian, AOL, Trail Blazers Blog, The Week, The Scoop Blog, Taylor Marsh and SCOTUSblog

Justice Antonin Scalia's Supreme Court Legacy
Discussion:
Prairie Weather and Daily Kos

The Simply Breathtaking Consequences Of Justice Scalia's Death
Discussion:
NPR, New York Times, USA Today, Guardian, ImmigrationProf Blog, naked capitalism, fox13now.com, KXAN-TV, SCOTUSblog, The Huffington Post and Washington Post

Antonin Scalia, Conservative Legal Giant
Discussion:
Power Line, The Atlantic and Slate


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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Trump and Drudge for the win, again: Matt Drudge's army is bigger than the RNC's — Yes, Trump got booed by GOP loyalists at the debate. But the reaction that matters, again, was afterwards on Drudge — Well, that was brutal. Wasn't it? The Republican presidential debate in South Carolina …
Discussion:
Breitbart, The Right Scoop and Vox


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


Trump was out of control in South Carolina debate
Discussion:
Marco Rubio

Online poll: Trump up by 22 points in SC
Discussion:
Washington Post, Slantpoint and Yahoo Politics

Exclusive — Donald Trump, Ted Cruz Campaigns Bash RNC for Stacking Audience with Pro-Amnesty Donor Class
Discussion:
Vox

Republican Debate Descends Into Total Chaos, Moderator Threatens To ‘Turn This Car Around’

Trump blames George W. Bush for 9/11
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Yahoo Politics, Liberal Values and Raw Story

In Republican Debate, Jeb Bush Attacks Donald Trump
Discussion:
Washington Post, Outside the Beltway and Discourse.net

Republican debate: Raised voices, name calling and personal attacks
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, Slantpoint, Des Moines Register and Independent Journal Review

Trump dominates talking time at Republican debate
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, The Hinterland Gazette and Yahoo Politics

The Ego Has Landed: Why Trump Damaged Himself Tonight — Apologies. I have no idea why I indulged myself to write so long to make such a simple point. Long story short: You can't tell people they've been flat wrong about everything for 17 years, without giving the slightest reason …
Discussion:
National Review, Slate and JustOneMinute