This is a huge blow to America as if the last 7 years have not been enough. America needs to stop "accommodating" it's people because it is not working. Only 68% of people in America are working. That is the lowest percentage since 1977.  The Constitution was not drafted to "accommodate" people. 

He fed homeless Puppies I believe.

They could probably force Obama into some kind of compromise that wouldn't shift things too much.  I think that trying to block it would benefit the democrats.

Yeah, I honestly think that going for at least a moderate is going to be the only realistic way Obama gets this through. Unless there is some sort of political backflip he can do that I'm unaware of.

But, I don't think it's even really about shifting the balance of the court. I just think they won't want to give Obama the chance to say "They tried to stop me from getting someone on the bench, but I did it anyways."

You don't think the party that held... what was it, something like 17 separate investigations into Benghazi?... would try that? You don't think the party that has attempted to undo Obamacare something like 40 times (failing every single time) would do it?

If anything is going to make them push to get it dealt with sooner, it'll be the fact that they've currently lost their conservative lean - it was 4 on the left, 4 on the right, and Kennedy, who was the "swing" vote, but tended to the right. Now without Scalia, Kennedy becomes the one who either supports the left-wing majority or ties things up.

The Republicans are going to want that position filled ASAP. And I can't help but wonder if they might push for a West Wing style deal (as in the episode, "The Supremes") - have Ginsburg retire now, have the Democrats nominate a staunch left-wing justice to replace her, and have the Republicans nominate a staunch right-wing justice to replace Scalia. And then confirm them both, thus ensuring that both sides get "what they want" rather than ending up with a situation where only milksop moderates are able to be successfully nominated and confirmed within a reasonable period.

The Republicans "need" to get the position filled - even if they were guaranteed a clean sweep of House, Senate, and White House at the next election, quite a bit of "damage" to their interests can be done in the next year. It's the Democrats that have reason to gamble on treading water until the next election - if polls are anything to go by, the Democrats are likely to hold onto the White House, and if they do so, the worst case is that nothing changes, and they can do a deal then. If they can grab hold of House and/or Senate, they'll be better-placed to shift the balance of the courts to the left. The odds are in the Democrats favour.

The sad part is, what I've just said, as reason why the Republicans shouldn't try to delay... won't be how the current Republicans are thinking. Rational thought isn't the current Republican Party's strong suit, they're going to try to delay, even though it's entirely against their interest to do so, harming them in the lead up to the election and likely ending with them losing the right-lean of the court next year. Because the reason not to delay is based on two-step reasoning, and they're not going to go past one-step reasoning - "if we win big in November, we get to nominate whoever we want".

It's actually surpassed 60 attempts to repeal the ACA now.

Scalia is the worst POS to ever serve on the bench.  I'm not glad he is dead, but I am overjoyed that he is no longer on the court.

Scalia wasn't all bad. He did support gaming. But his politics were about as anti the founding principals of the USA as one could get. He was pro theological above all else - which was one of those important reasons the colonies declared war with England in 1776. He wanted and inject religion into the US Government (where it does not belong.)

He has been a terrible worry for many US Citizens the last many years. Him being gone not only eliminates his vote, but also Justice Thomas, who only twice has ever disagreed with Scalia.

Republicans will no doubt fight against whomever Obama nominates. But the process lasting more than 4 months is unlikely.

Now that he is gone, I hope we can get a reasonable thinking person to replace him.

PS RIP and peace to his friends and families.

You know... if you want to find out... you could just like google it.

Hijacking can be spun both ways. But the way I see it the people have spoken since the last election and voted for Republicans to take over the house and senate. So if Obama with his short time left trys to put a way left judge for a appointment the Senate should block it as the people have voted the last election to go in a different direction. I doubt he'll try to meet half way with this appointment.