On Scalia Vacancy, Ron Johnson Forgets Barack Obama Is the President of the United States

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now offered the following statements about the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s unconstitutional call Sunday demanding President Obama not appoint a successor to the late Antonin Scalia and leave the nation’s highest court deadlocked for at least the next year.

“Only Ron Johnson would claim President Obama should have to play by different rules than President Reagan when he appointed Antonin Scalia in a hotly-contested election year.

“President Obama remains our president for just under an entire year — another 340 days. The President has the constitutional responsibility to appoint a Justice to the Supreme Court when there is a vacancy and members of the U.S. Senate, like Ron Johnson, have a constitutional responsibility to facilitate the confirmation of justices to our high court.

“The fact is: Antonin Scalia was nominated on June 24 in an election year and was confirmed by a Republican-controlled U.S. Senate 85 days later. The unanimous confirmation occurred 48 days before an election in which the Republicans lost control of the Senate.”