Letter to the Editor

Republicans want power at any cost, show ‘rank hypocrisy’

Friday, September 25, 2020

This column 2 of a pair between officials with Butler County's Republican and Democratic party officials.

In February 2016, Antonin Scalia died while a member of the Supreme Court.

Barack Obama was president and nominated Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy.

The Republican majority in the United States Senate made an unprecedented decision to deny Garland a confirmation vote.

Their argument was that it was too close to a presidential election to confirm a justice.

They wanted the people to have their say as to who should make the nomination in an election nine months away.

Now, after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and only six weeks from another presidential election, the Senate Republicans want to confirm a justice.

Several leading Republicans in the Senate are on the record in 2016 as stating that if a vacancy occurs in 2020, no vote should be taken.

It appears that to the Republicans, the people having their say only applies when they do not have control of the White House.

Obama didn’t get to pick a justice in an election year, but Trump does.

The rank hypocrisy is stunning.

There was a time when our political leaders considered how their actions would affect the future of the country, not just the matter of the day.

Apparently the modern Republican party is concerned only with maintaining power at any cost. And if that sets well with you as a citizen, then I would question the health of our democracy.

Keith French is a member of the Butler County Democratic Central Committee.