Death of Scalia; early voting; Jim Nichols death
Death of Scalia
It seems that the untimely death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has shown us the dividers in Washington.
Funeral arrangements were not yet complete and already the Senate had started its argument.
Saying that the next president should appoint a replacement for Scalia would mean a wait of another 11 months left in President Obama’s term, plus however long it would take the next president to nominate someone, plus the time it would take to confirm that person.
This is not a good situation.
Elections are imminent. Incumbents are used to doing nothing, and they decide that’s what we want them to do, as we keep sending them back.
Joe Rodriguez,
Arlington
The founders put in place a brilliant design for government — three co-equal branches to fulfill the critical needs of our nation.
For seven years, the Republicans in Washington have worked tirelessly to deprive the American people of a functional executive branch.
A new front in this war has now opened.
President Obama, who was elected to a full four-year term, has promised that he will fulfill his constitutional responsibility by nominating a successor to Antonin Scalia, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other leading Republicans have assured us that they will ignore their duty to give the nominee a hearing and a vote so the court can get back to the people’s business.
If a foreign power tried to destroy our government, we would be up in arms.
We should be now.
Mark Greene,
Fort Worth
Am I the only one who smells a rat in the neatly packaged details of Antonin Scalia’s passing?
Why wasn't an autopsy performed?
Why was his body taken away?
Let truth prevail.
Dale Niedbalski,
Crowley
Sometimes the leftward slant of the news is laughably obvious.
For example, a report saying that Justice Scalia died “leaving the high court without its conservative majority.”
Conservative majority?
Yes, that would certainly explain the decisions in the Obamacare and Obergefell v. Hodges same-sex marriage cases, wouldn’t it?
Any sane analysis of the court would find it had four reliably conservative and four reliably liberal justices, with Anthony Kennedy in the middle, with perhaps a slightly right-leaning voting record.
Andrew Parker,
North Richland Hills
Early voting
Early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. means folks who work for a living will not be able to vote early.
Most working folks have to be at work before 8 and do not get off until after 5.
This smells like a deliberate attempt to suppress the vote of working folks.
Early voting should be the same as on election day — 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the very least. But 7 to 10 would be better.
Paul R. Schattman,
Arlington
Jim Nichols death
I read with sadness the announcement of the passing of Jim Nichols, a man who has been my competitor, employer and partner, and friend for many years.
He was, above all, a man of integrity.
He was an excellent engineer and leader who gave of himself to his firm, his friends and his community.
His death has left a gaping hole in the fabric of humanity that cannot be quickly mended.
J. Steve O'Kelley,
Fort Worth
This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Death of Scalia; early voting; Jim Nichols death."