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On Top Of The News Email:news@arubatoday.com website: www.arubatoday.com Tel:+297 582-7800 Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Justice
League

President Barack Obama smiles before answering questions during a news conference following the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) leaders summit at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016.

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Obama Calls for Bipartisanship on Court Vacancy

RANCHO MIRAGE, Cali- the death of Justice Anto- nominations are not new, Scalia’s unexpected death year, say Obama should
fornia (AP) — President nin Scalia. The nine-mem- he noted, but “the Su- at a remote Texas ranch leave the choice up to the
Barack Obama said Tues- ber court, the highest in the preme Court’s different.” on Saturday, White House next president. The Novem-
day he would nominate land, is now divided evenly “This will be a test, one lawyers and advisers have ber election, they argue,
a candidate to fill the va- between liberals and con- more test of whether or not been scrambling to refine will give voters a chance to
cancy on the U.S. Supreme servatives. norms, rules, basic fair play and vet a list of potential weigh in on the direction of
Court who is “indisputably” “I intend to do my job be- can function at all in Wash- replacements, while also the court.
qualified. He called on the tween now and January ington these days,” he said. devising a strategy to push Obama dismissed that no-
staunch Republican oppo- 20 of 2017,” Obama said. “I Obama spoke as he closed a candidate through the tion. He has said he will put
sition in the Senate to rise expect them to do their job a meeting of Southeast Republican-led Senate. forward a replacement in
above “venom and ran- as well.” Asian leaders at Sunnyl- Senate Majority Leader due time and that he be-
cor” and give the nominee Obama cast the dispute ands, a California desert Mitch McConnell has said lieves the Senate will have
a vote. as a question of how far retreat. Obama gathered he doesn’t think Obama “plenty of time” to give the
Obama spoke to report- Republicans want to push ASEAN members for two should be putting a can- nominee a fair hearing and
ers at a news conference their opposition and wheth- days of talks on security didate forward. The Ken- a vote.
in his first extended com- er the Senate can function and counterterrorism ef- tucky senator, as well as
ments on the fight over fill- in the hyper-politicized cli- forts. But the president’s at- several Republican sena- Continued on page 6
ing the seat left empty by mate. Fights over judicial tention was divided. Since tors up for re-election this