Dem supporters of Constitution-skirting president accuse GOPers of skirting Constitution

**Written by Doug Powers

As you know by now, the brilliant Antonin Scalia passed away at a Texas ranch yesterday. Ronald Reagan nominated one of the great conservative and legal minds of all time for the Supreme Court in 1986, and for the next 30 years Scalia put on display a constitutional virtuosity that awed the right and gave the left night sweats.

Scalia's death leaves a vacant spot on the Supreme Court in a presidential election year. What comes next? For starters we get to listen to Hillary Clinton -- who lives so far above the law that her homebrew server has a built-in altimeter -- is accusing Senate Republicans of not having respect for the Constitution for refusing to say they'll rubber stamp Obama's SCOTUS nominee (Eric Holder's got his fingers tightly crossed right now): 

Hillary Clinton is assailing Republicans for arguing that the Supreme Court seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia should remain vacant until a new president is elected.

Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the White House, said the Senate has a responsibility to consider a nominee from President Obama.

"The Republicans in the Senate and on the campaign trail who are calling for Justice Scalia's seat to remain vacant dishonor our Constitution," the former secretary of State said in a statement.

"The Senate has a constitutional responsibility here that it cannot abdicate for partisan political reasons."

And Hillary's totally serious about her call for strict adherence to the letter of the Constitution: 

What an originalist!

President Obama's also suddenly getting all Constitutiony:

His "pen and phone" were unavailable for comment.

Bernie Sanders, who has promised to go even farther than Obama when it comes to executive orders, is aghast that Republicans in the Senate might not green light Obama's eventual SCOTUS nominee:

“It appears that some of my Republican colleagues in the Senate have a very interesting view of the Constitution of the United States,” the Vermont senator said. “Apparently they believe that the Constitution does not allow a Democratic president to bring forth a nominee to replace Justice Scalia. I strongly disagree with that.”

No defense of America's founding principles is more credible than one that comes from a dyed in the wool socialist. (Sanders Fun Fact: The Declaration of Independence as originally written listed "free college" as an unalienable right but Wall Street had it removed).

Some Dems want Obama to fill the SCOTUS vacancy with a recess appointment. The last time the president who's lecturing the right about constitutional law dabbled in recess appointments they were all unanimously smacked down as unconstitutional.

*****

We'll also consider this our usual Sunday open thread if there's anything else on your mind. Oh, and for a preview of how the MSM will frame Justice Scalia's legacy, see here.

*****

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe