Today in Supreme Court History: February 18, 1988

2/18/1988: Justice Anthony Kennedy takes judicial oath.

Justice Anthony Kennedy

Comments

[Dan Schiavetta]

A Presidential election year! And Democrats not only agreed to hearings and voted to confirm! Wussies!

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

The reckoning approaches.

[Kevin Smith]

He was nominated November and had hearings in December the year before though, and this was still after they borked Bork

The "election year" thing only came about in 2008, when (IIRC) Biden stated the Senate would not consider a nomination from Bush should a vacancy open on the court (no vacancy opened so the threat was moot, but clearly the Republicans understood it)

[bernard11]

Bork again.

Are you for or against the First Amendment?

[Dan Schiavetta]

No, the "election year" thing didn't happen until 2016. You have your history wrong. And Biden didn't say that.

[bernard11]

It doesn't matter, cc.

They have their talking point, however ridiculous, and they're sticking to it.

[quizbowla]

The "election year" thing (the Senate controlled by a party in opposition to the president not confirming a SCOTUS nomination) first happened with Crittenden nomination in 1828. This is so easy to check. It has nothing to do with a "Biden rule" or "Thurmond rule" or anything like that, so you're right on that point.