i would expect before the SCOTUS gave up too much authority along the lines of NO confirmations at all, they would declare the 60 vote rule unconstitutional
the senate won't refuse to confirm *someone* because each party has a (roughly) 50/50 shot at president and they don't want the favor returned once they have the white house. In the end, the other two branches lose even more power
One attempt at conciliation from the majority ruling i have to take issue with:
"Marriage, in their view, is by its nature a gender-differentiated union of man and woman. This view long has been held—and continues to be held—in good faith by reasonable and sincere people here and throughout the world. "
Really, i'm pretty sure SCOTUS released the decision today to avoid throngs of loonies from kansas having time to swarm into D.C., so he must not think too highly of them. In fact, like them i suspect, i wasn't paying attention at all, figuring the decision comes monday-tuesday
Also this is a perfect representation of the hysteria from "reasonable and sincere people" and the kind of voter ted cruz covets and scalia's #1 fan:
Comparisons to 9/11, jihad, and nazis - I bet the resident bigots are *real* proud to share their 'cause' with this guy
Dems had *what* to do with this exactly? This is several federal court decisions followed by a majority ruling penned by a reagan appointee. They have no right to be proud, when they stood aside meekly while bush and romney did everything possible to ban gay rights. And hillary being in your pic is damn funny, when her husband voted in DADT and DOMA
Aside from a handful of state legislatures, the dems have been impotent while true activists led the public and court battle
You don't like this ruling from SCOTUS because it goes against your beliefs? Tough.
We don't like the ruling from DC v Heller because it goes against our beliefs, but conservatives are happy to support the SCOTUS when it makes decisions they agree with.
At least gay marriage won't enable countless deaths.
I feel sorry for you man. I don't know why you have so much hate in you, but I hope you someday find peace and happiness.
You share lot's of things with gay people (or people, as I prefer to call them): The nation, the flag, restaurants, free speech, the constitution. Marriage will just be another one.
Do you hate gays more than you love your girlfriend? If the answer is no, then marry her.
This still doesn't address the current situation where the GOP Senate can vote down any USSC Obama nominee by a simple majority vote.
This would still leave us Constitutionally with eight Justices, which has occurred in the past.
Tie votes would revert back to previous court rulings, effectively ending debate.
Either party could filibuster a USSC nominee in the next Presidency--depending on who owns the Senate and Presidency.the senate won't refuse to confirm *someone* because each party has a (roughly) 50/50 shot at president and
they don't want the favor returned once they have the white house.
In the end, the other two branches lose even more power
We have not seen the "Nuclear Option" used yet for USSC appointees--that looks like the only way we'll get a ninth Justice in the future.
68 of the first 96 nominees of our NATION were approved by a voice vote.
Beginning with Thurgood Marshall in 1967, the last 21 approved Justices were by roll-call vote.
Thomas got the least number of votes in Modern times--52; followed by Alito with 58.
As you can see, a filibuster by DEMs could have stopped them.
It will take years for the legalities of the filibuster to reach the USSC.
IMHO, Roberts/Kennedy rulings will lean right on changing the way Congress works, leaving the filibuster alone.
We may well have a reached a point in our miserable partisan history in the Senate both ways
that both the Senate and President must be of the same party just to get a new Justice .
Physics is Phun; Chemists Have Solutions; formerly nimby