Antonin Scalia was one of our most reliable, conservative US Supreme Court Justices. Pray for our nation Conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died, setting up a major political showdown between President Barack Obama and the Republican-controlled Senate over who will replace him just months before a presidential election. On behalf of the court and retired justices, I am saddened to report that our colleague Justice Antonin Scalia has passed away,  Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement on Saturday, calling Scalia, 79, an  extraordinary individual and jurist. Scalia s death was first reported by the San Antonio News-Express, who said he had apparently died of natural causes while visiting a luxury resort in West Texas.Appointed to the top U.S. court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, Scalia was known for his strident conservative views and theatrical flair in the courtroom.Obama, who is traveling in California, extended his condolences, and the White House said he would have more to say about Scalia s death later on Saturday.The U.S. president will face a stiff battle to win confirmation of a nominee to replace the dead jurist, with Republicans likely to delay in the hope that one of their own wins the November election.Obama could tilt the balance of the nation s highest court, which now consists of four conservatives and four liberals, if he is successful in pushing his nominate through the Senate confirmation process. Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy sometimes joins with the liberals on high profile issues, including gay rights and the death penalty. Justice Scalia was an American hero. We owe it to him, and the nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next president names his replacement,  Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican presidential candidate, said on Twitter.The court is set to decide its first major abortion case in nearly 10 years as well as key cases on voting rights, affirmative action and immigration.POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTSScalia s replacement would be Obama s third appointment to the nine-justice court.Obama s first two appointments to the court, liberals Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and Elena Kagan in 2010, both experienced relatively smooth confirmation hearings in the Senate, which was then controlled by Democrats. Sotomayor was approved by a 68-31 vote and Kagan by 63-37.The battle over Scalia s replacement will be different, with Republicans now in charge of the Senate and keen to exert their influence over the process. Obama is likely to be forced into picking a moderate with little or no history of advocating for liberal causes. Via: Yahoo News