In his letter March 25, Roland Rancourt Jr. hoped that Republican members of the U.S Senate will defer Supreme Court nomination hearings. He didn’t discuss the rationale those Republican members have given for obstructing the process required by the U.S. Constitution. He only talks about what he calls the hypocrisy of Vice President Joe Biden, but what could also be called a desperate tit-for-tat excuse.

Either way, the excuse (it doesn’t rise to the level of a rationale) Republicans have given is that “we should let the American people decide” the next justice (by their vote for the next president). What could that possibly mean? The American people have spoken, in two consecutive elections, for the current president.

In addition, Republicans have consistently trumpeted adhering to the U.S. Constitution: The Second Amendment right to bear arms. So, now let’s run a hypocrisy check. First, the American people have spoken; they made their selection of the current president twice; secondly, the Second Article of the U.S. Constitution requires the sitting president to nominate Supreme Court Justices with the “advice and consent” of the Senate (not complete obstruction by the Senate).

Where does the real hypocrisy lie?

It is clear that the GOP’s so-called holding their ground consists of their obstruction of the Constitutional process for appointing justices, in the hope that, maybe, they will get lucky and a Republican will be elected the next president.

If not, what will they try then?

Jeff Christiansen, Gorham

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