 Historian BURIES Every Excuse Senate Republicans Have Used To Block Obama’s SCOTUS NomineeSenate Republicans were just taken to the woodshed by a historian for their unprecedented obstruction of President Obama s Supreme Court nominee.Ever since Justice Antonin Scalia died in February, Republicans have used every excuse they can think of to justify their refusal to even consider anyone President Obama picks to fill the vacancy.And in response to an op-ed written by GOP Senator Orrin Hatch in which he lists several of those excuses, a historian fired back with an op-ed of his own completely burying each and every one of them.When Hatch suggested the rules are different when replacing one of  the greatest jurists in our nation s history,  Wofford College Professor Mark S. Byrnes replied,  it does not matter who the president is replacing. All openings on the Court are created equal. And frankly, Scalia was one of the worst Supreme Court Justices this country has ever had the misfortune to witness. He was easily swayed in his decisions by gifts from those who wanted him to rule a certain way and many of his dissents are nothing more than glorified temper tantrums that had little to do with constitutional interpretation and more to do with failing to force another aspect of the right-wing agenda down our throats.Byrnes then scorched Hatch for accusing President Obama of disagreeing with Scalia s philosophy and reminded him that,  When the electorate once again decisively elected Obama as president in 2012, it did not include an asterisk that said he could only replace justices with whom he agreed. Indeed, if that were the case we wouldn t have Clarence Thomas on the bench because former President George H. W. Bush would have had to nominate someone with a liberal philosophy similar to Justice Thurgood Marshall, whom Thomas replaced, to the high court.Hatch also complained about President Obama opposing two nominees of former President George W. Bush as a senator and claimed Obama has repeatedly exceeded constitutional authority. Byrnes slapped those two excuses down by noting that at least Bush s nominees received a vote and that if Republicans really believed Obama has done something wrong they would have drawn up articles of impeachment by now.Hatch also pointed out that Americans chose a Democratic president and a Republican Senate, but that was easily countered as well as Byrnes noted that Obama nominated centrist Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.  He did not chose someone who was a darling of the Democratic left, but someone who has (in the past) been repeatedly praised by Republicans, including Hatch himself,  Byrnes noted.Byrnes then lambasted Hatch for getting American history wrong.Hatch claimed in his op-ed that,  Throughout its history, the Senate has never confirmed a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy that occurred this late in a term-limited president s time in office. And Bynes really handed Hatch his ass on this claim.As a history teacher, I am used to the instinct unprepared undergraduates have to bolster a poor argument with the  throughout history  trick. I expect better of United States Senators.Hatch shows his contempt for his readers with this tortured construction. To make his  throughout its history  line work, Hatch needs to make that history awfully short. He does that with the phrase  term-limited.  The 22nd Amendment, which imposes term limits on presidents, has only been in effect for 65 years. So this particular  throughout its history  means for 65 years less than Hatch s own life span.Bynres goes on to note that  there has only been one other vacancy during that period that was  this late  in a president s term: LBJ s nomination of Abe Fortas in 1968. Yes, Fortas was not confirmed as Chief Justice. That nomination received a hearing, however, and a vote. It was not met with this disingenuous nonsense that  we never do this.  And as Hatch well knows, 1968 was one of the most contentious elections years in American history. Somehow, the Senate still did its job.Byrnes also blasted Hatch for using how nasty the current election has been as an excuse to not do his job because only Republicans have made the election nasty thus far. And when Hatch claimed that both parties have politicized the confirmation process, Byrnes observed that only Republicans are escalating the politicization to an unprecedented height this time around.In his conclusion, Byrnes urged Republicans to stop acting like  cowards  and stop pretending that their obstruction is about something more than just trying to keep the Supreme Court conservative.If Hatch and his fellow Republicans want to vote against Judge Garland, they have every right to do so. But they should stop being cowards. They should make a substantive argument against him. vote against him, and accept the political consequences of that vote. They should stop pretending that this reckless path they have chosen is anything but a desperate attempt to hold onto a Supreme Court majority.Seriously, Senate Republicans need to stop with the excuses and do their job. They have thrown their little temper tantrum and they have lost the argument repeatedly. Every excuse they have offered has literally been destroyed by facts and historical evidence. They need to get over it and get the Court back to full capacity or the American people will have another real excuse to boot them out of office in November.Featured image: CagleNews
historian buries every excuse senate republicans have used to block obama scouts nomineesenate republicans taken wooded historian unprecedented obstruction president obama supreme court since justice antonio scale died february republicans used every excuse think justify refusal even consider anyone president obama picks fill response written gop senator train hatch lists several excuses historian fired back completely burying every one hatch suggested rules different replacing one greatest jurists nation history afford college professor mark barnes replied matter president replacing all openings court created equal and frankly scale one worst supreme court justices country ever misfortune witness he easily swayed decisions gifts wanted rule certain way many dissent nothing glorified temper tantrums little constitutional interpretation failing force another aspect agenda scored hatch accusing president obama disagreeing scale philosophy reminded when electorate decisively elected obama president include asterisk said could replace justices agreed indeed case clearance thomas bench former president george bush would nominate someone liberal philosophy similar justice thurgood marshall thomas replaced high also complained president obama opposing two nominees former president george bush senator claimed obama repeatedly exceeded constitutional authority barnes slapped two excuses noting least bush nominees received vote republicans really believed obama done something wrong would drawn articles impeachment also pointed americans chose democratic president republican senate easily countered well barnes noted obama nominated centrist derrick garland supreme court he chose someone darling democratic left someone past repeatedly praised republicans including hatch barnes lambasted hatch getting american history claimed throughout history senate never confirmed nominee fill supreme court vacancy occurred late president time office and bytes really handed hatch ass history teacher i used instinct unprepared undergraduates bolster poor argument throughout history trick i expect better united states shows contempt readers tortured construction to make throughout history line work hatch needs make history awfully short he phrase the amendment imposes term limits presidents effect years so particular throughout history means years less hatch life goes note one vacancy period late president term lb nomination abe forts yes forts confirmed chief justice that nomination received hearing however vote it met disingenuous nonsense never and hatch well knows one contentious elections years american history somehow senate still also blasted hatch using nasty current election excuse job republicans made election nasty thus far and hatch claimed parties politicized confirmation process barnes observed republicans escalating politicization unprecedented height time conclusion barnes urged republicans stop acting like towards stop pretending obstruction something trying keep supreme court hatch fellow republicans want vote judge garland every right but stop towards they make substantive argument vote accept political consequences vote they stop pretending reckless path chosen anything desperate attempt hold onto supreme court senate republicans need stop excuses job they thrown little temper centrum lost argument repeatedly every excuse offered literally destroyed facts historical evidence they need get get court back full capacity american people another real excuse boot office image caglenews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT:  Historian BURIES Every Excuse Senate Republicans Have Used To Block Obama’s SCOTUS NomineeSenate Republicans were just taken to the woodshed by a historian for their unprecedented obstruction of President Obama s Supreme Court nominee.Ever since Justice Antonin Scalia died in February, Republicans have used every excuse they can think of to justify their refusal to even consider anyone President Obama picks to fill the vacancy.And in response to an op-ed written by GOP Senator Orrin Hatch in which he lists several of those excuses, a historian fired back with an op-ed of his own completely burying each and every one of them.When Hatch suggested the rules are different when replacing one of  the greatest jurists in our nation s history,  Wofford College Professor Mark S. Byrnes replied,  it does not matter who the president is replacing. All openings on the Court are created equal. And frankly, Scalia was one of the worst Supreme Court Justices this country has ever had the misfortune to witness. He was easily swayed in his decisions by gifts from those who wanted him to rule a certain way and many of his dissents are nothing more than glorified temper tantrums that had little to do with constitutional interpretation and more to do with failing to force another aspect of the right-wing agenda down our throats.Byrnes then scorched Hatch for accusing President Obama of disagreeing with Scalia s philosophy and reminded him that,  When the electorate once again decisively elected Obama as president in 2012, it did not include an asterisk that said he could only replace justices with whom he agreed. Indeed, if that were the case we wouldn t have Clarence Thomas on the bench because former President George H. W. Bush would have had to nominate someone with a liberal philosophy similar to Justice Thurgood Marshall, whom Thomas replaced, to the high court.Hatch also complained about President Obama opposing two nominees of former President George W. Bush as a senator and claimed Obama has repeatedly exceeded constitutional authority. Byrnes slapped those two excuses down by noting that at least Bush s nominees received a vote and that if Republicans really believed Obama has done something wrong they would have drawn up articles of impeachment by now.Hatch also pointed out that Americans chose a Democratic president and a Republican Senate, but that was easily countered as well as Byrnes noted that Obama nominated centrist Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.  He did not chose someone who was a darling of the Democratic left, but someone who has (in the past) been repeatedly praised by Republicans, including Hatch himself,  Byrnes noted.Byrnes then lambasted Hatch for getting American history wrong.Hatch claimed in his op-ed that,  Throughout its history, the Senate has never confirmed a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy that occurred this late in a term-limited president s time in office. And Bynes really handed Hatch his ass on this claim.As a history teacher, I am used to the instinct unprepared undergraduates have to bolster a poor argument with the  throughout history  trick. I expect better of United States Senators.Hatch shows his contempt for his readers with this tortured construction. To make his  throughout its history  line work, Hatch needs to make that history awfully short. He does that with the phrase  term-limited.  The 22nd Amendment, which imposes term limits on presidents, has only been in effect for 65 years. So this particular  throughout its history  means for 65 years less than Hatch s own life span.Bynres goes on to note that  there has only been one other vacancy during that period that was  this late  in a president s term: LBJ s nomination of Abe Fortas in 1968. Yes, Fortas was not confirmed as Chief Justice. That nomination received a hearing, however, and a vote. It was not met with this disingenuous nonsense that  we never do this.  And as Hatch well knows, 1968 was one of the most contentious elections years in American history. Somehow, the Senate still did its job.Byrnes also blasted Hatch for using how nasty the current election has been as an excuse to not do his job because only Republicans have made the election nasty thus far. And when Hatch claimed that both parties have politicized the confirmation process, Byrnes observed that only Republicans are escalating the politicization to an unprecedented height this time around.In his conclusion, Byrnes urged Republicans to stop acting like  cowards  and stop pretending that their obstruction is about something more than just trying to keep the Supreme Court conservative.If Hatch and his fellow Republicans want to vote against Judge Garland, they have every right to do so. But they should stop being cowards. They should make a substantive argument against him. vote against him, and accept the political consequences of that vote. They should stop pretending that this reckless path they have chosen is anything but a desperate attempt to hold onto a Supreme Court majority.Seriously, Senate Republicans need to stop with the excuses and do their job. They have thrown their little temper tantrum and they have lost the argument repeatedly. Every excuse they have offered has literally been destroyed by facts and historical evidence. They need to get over it and get the Court back to full capacity or the American people will have another real excuse to boot them out of office in November.Featured image: CagleNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: historian buries every excuse senate republicans have used to block obama scouts nomineesenate republicans taken wooded historian unprecedented obstruction president obama supreme court since justice antonio scale died february republicans used every excuse think justify refusal even consider anyone president obama picks fill response written gop senator train hatch lists several excuses historian fired back completely burying every one hatch suggested rules different replacing one greatest jurists nation history afford college professor mark barnes replied matter president replacing all openings court created equal and frankly scale one worst supreme court justices country ever misfortune witness he easily swayed decisions gifts wanted rule certain way many dissent nothing glorified temper tantrums little constitutional interpretation failing force another aspect agenda scored hatch accusing president obama disagreeing scale philosophy reminded when electorate decisively elected obama president include asterisk said could replace justices agreed indeed case clearance thomas bench former president george bush would nominate someone liberal philosophy similar justice thurgood marshall thomas replaced high also complained president obama opposing two nominees former president george bush senator claimed obama repeatedly exceeded constitutional authority barnes slapped two excuses noting least bush nominees received vote republicans really believed obama done something wrong would drawn articles impeachment also pointed americans chose democratic president republican senate easily countered well barnes noted obama nominated centrist derrick garland supreme court he chose someone darling democratic left someone past repeatedly praised republicans including hatch barnes lambasted hatch getting american history claimed throughout history senate never confirmed nominee fill supreme court vacancy occurred late president time office and bytes really handed hatch ass history teacher i used instinct unprepared undergraduates bolster poor argument throughout history trick i expect better united states shows contempt readers tortured construction to make throughout history line work hatch needs make history awfully short he phrase the amendment imposes term limits presidents effect years so particular throughout history means years less hatch life goes note one vacancy period late president term lb nomination abe forts yes forts confirmed chief justice that nomination received hearing however vote it met disingenuous nonsense never and hatch well knows one contentious elections years american history somehow senate still also blasted hatch using nasty current election excuse job republicans made election nasty thus far and hatch claimed parties politicized confirmation process barnes observed republicans escalating politicization unprecedented height time conclusion barnes urged republicans stop acting like towards stop pretending obstruction something trying keep supreme court hatch fellow republicans want vote judge garland every right but stop towards they make substantive argument vote accept political consequences vote they stop pretending reckless path chosen anything desperate attempt hold onto supreme court senate republicans need stop excuses job they thrown little temper centrum lost argument repeatedly every excuse offered literally destroyed facts historical evidence they need get get court back full capacity american people another real excuse boot office image caglenews