I usually don’t write about politics in my columns, because I’ve learned over the years debates over politics and religion can turn even the most normally sane and mature individual into a raving lunatic with the mentality of 5-year-old during the discussion.

But I’ve been watching with some amusement the whining and crying of the Senate Republicans and the outlandish claims and pronouncements by Republican presidential candidates over the potential selection of a successor to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last weekend.

Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution says, “[The President] shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint…Judges of the Supreme Court.”

That’s the rule, pure and simple. You would think that would be the last word. But in their best performances, the Republicans, especially so-called “conservative” Republicans are saying “let’s wait until the next president is elected,” despite the advice of former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, a Reagan appointee to the court, who said Scalia’s seat should be filled under this administration.
What cowards.

It’s obvious the GOP politicians are afraid President Obama will nominate — heaven forbid — a liberal jurist to take Scalia’s place, or even worse, someone they can’t block without looking bad politically. God forbid they approve someone with common sense or someone who would overturn the Citizens United decision and prevent corporations from buying a government. Let’s face it folks, when a company feeds megabucks into a candidate’s or party’s political action committee, it’s because they want something in return.

Of course, I’m not surprised by Mitch McConnell or Ted Cruz screaming wait. It’s been standard practice for years for Republicans to try and change the rules when things don’t go their way.

As evidence, I present the line-item veto. In the early 90s, a Republican-controlled Congress passed a bill to give the president the power of line-item veto, the ability to veto any budget item by itself instead of the entire bill.

Coming from Louisiana, I knew they were making a mistake. I watched a master of the line-item veto, Edwin Edwards, use that power to force state senators and representatives to approve his bills, simply by subtly threatening to veto an item for a particular pol’s district.

The bill passed Congress and was signed by a Republican president, George H.W. Bush. When Bill Clinton, a Democrat, was the first president to use the line-item veto, the cats yowled, claiming the bill they passed usurped their constitutional authority, and the courts tossed the law.

So let the Republicans holler and cry and whine. But let them remember one thing if they want to wait for the next administration.

The next president could be a Democrat.

Or, if the next president is a Republican, he could appoint another Earl Warren, who seemed to be a conservative and oversaw a very liberal court.

Be careful what you wish for, guys.