Rosenberg: Don”t make Scalia”s death about politics
Chris Villani
Massachusetts Senate President Stanley Rosenberg said people should not be playing politics following the death of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, pointing the finger at both a Democratic state senate candidate from Cape Cod as well as U.S. Senate Republicans who have vowed not to confirm any nominee for the vacancy put forth by […]
https://www.bostonherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HeraldIcon.jpg?w=32
Boston Herald
Massachusetts Senate President Stanley Rosenberg said people should not be playing politics following the death of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, pointing the finger at both a Democratic state senate candidate from Cape Cod as well as U.S. Senate Republicans who have vowed not to confirm any nominee for the vacancy put forth by President Obama.

“In politics, you can disagree but you shouldn't be disagreeable,” Rosenberg said on Boston Herald Radio. “The man was selected, appointed, ratified by the Senate, and served with distinction, whether you agree with him or disagree with him.”

Rosenberg chastised Sheila Lyons, a Barnstable county commissioner running for a Cape and Islands Senate seat, who wrote on Facebook Saturday after news of the conservative justice’s passing broke: “I know it’s disrespectful to feel happy but Justice Scalia orchestrated tremendous power to benefit the powerful who have controlled the message to the American people.”

“I think that is an unreasonable and unkind way to act,” Rosenberg said of the Democratic candidate’s comments. “We need civility in politics.”

Lyons has since deleted and apologized for the post. Rosenberg said he has never spoken to her.

The Amherst Democrat also took Republicans in Washington to task for saying they will not confirm an Obama nominee, preferring instead to wait until next January when a new president is sworn in.

“It takes, on average, 75 days from the time a nomination is made to the court to approval by the Senate when the system is working properly,” Rosenberg said. “We have 11 months. And 11 months without a justice being appointed with the possibility of tie votes, which means the lower courts ruling stands, means people are denied the opportunity to have the full measure of the use of our justice system.”

Rosenberg said he was not equating the two situations, but called both examples of political posturing after the death of a respected high court justice.

“There are two situations here right now,” he said. “One is unreasonable and insulting language about an individual who has passed on and who served with distinction on the court. The other thing I am raising is … not a good situation, for political reasons.

“Both people are saying things that are about politics and we shouldn't be talking about politics when a man passes. We should also not be stopping the operations of an equal and separate branch of government as a result of politics.”

In the past few days, former Bay State Gov. Deval Patrick’s name has emerged as a potential candidate to fill the vacancy left by Scalia. Rosenberg offered a favorable view of the idea of the two-term Democratic governor on the Supreme Court.

“I don’t think he would a bad nominee,” Rosenberg said of Patrick. “I would be very interested to see how that would play out if we were actually nominated.”

In an earlier interview, Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone also offered an endorsement for former Patrick.

“I know Deval Patrick, I think he'd be an incredible justice,” Curtatone said. “One, because he understands the principles of jurisprudence, of justice, of equality, he's smart, he's passionate about the law.

“Does he have a chance in hell?” The mayor added. “I am not so sure he has any chance in that congress. It was nothing to do with his abilities.”