OBAMA: Pick Scalia successor

Republicans are threatening to sabotage any attempt by President Obama to fill Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. I offer these thoughts:

First, when Barack Obama took the oath of office of president of the United States, he vowed to “faithfully execute” the laws of the land. One of those laws, embodied in the Constitution, does not say that he “may” or “can” appoint a nominee to a Supreme Court vacancy but that he “shall” appoint someone. To do otherwise would break his vow to the American people and break the law.

Second, Obama doesn’t become a lame duck until after November’s election, and until the new president takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, he still must faithfully execute the laws of the land.

Third, right-wingers are clamoring that the voters should decide who should make the appointment. They already did, in 2008 and 2012, and in the latter year Obama clobbered Mitt Romney in the Electoral College, 332 to 206.

To those would-be obstructionists on the right, I would like to quote Justice Scalia’s immortal words: “Get over it.”

JOHN STROBEL

Athol