Lamb letter: Crapo and Judicial nominee

Sen. Mike Crapo’s thinking on senatorial duties regarding Supreme Court nominees has “evolved.”

Regarding Samuel Alito’s nomination in 2006:

1. “All of the president’s nominees deserve up-and-down votes and not efforts to obstruct judicial nominees for political purposes,” Crapo said. “Judges are not politicians, and hopefully, Judge Alito’s nomination will put an end to the politics which have crept into the nomination process.” crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=250940

Now, regarding President Obama’s nomination to replace Antonin Scalia, Crapo has this to say:

2. “The Constitution gives the president the right to make nominations to the Supreme Court, with the advice and consent of the Senate. As part of its role in this process, the Senate may, at its discretion, withhold consent. The next Supreme Court justice will make decisions that affect every American and shape our nation’s legal landscape for decades. Therefore, the current Supreme Court vacancy should be filled by an individual nominated by the next President of the United States.” crapo.senate.gov/issues/criminal_justice_courts/criminal_justice_courts.cfm

Thus, not only is he failing to perform his duty (see 1. above) but he is prevaricating as to why this is the case (see 2.)

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 11:29 PM with the headline "Lamb letter: Crapo and Judicial nominee."