Grassley’s obstruction of the Supreme Court

I agree with the Feb. 16 Des Moines Register editorial “Grassley’s Supreme Court stance is all about politics.” Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is disregarding his constitutional duty by rejecting a nominee who hasn’t even been named. President Obama just announced that he will soon nominate a candidate for Supreme Court justice.

In February 1988, Grassley voted with the Democratically controlled Senate 97-0 to confirm Ronald Reagan’s nominee, Anthony Kennedy. He and his fellow Republicans should be guided by this precedent and make plans to vote on Obama’s nominee instead of obstructing the intent of the Constitution with stalling tactics and filibusters.

The Constitution states that the president “shall nominate,” with the “advice and consent of the Senate,” our Supreme Court justices. It doesn’t say anything about these duties and obligations being suspended a year or so before each president is scheduled to leave office.

I encourage you to go to the website of Why Courts Matter, an advocacy group that has been critical of Grassley’s role on the Judiciary Committee. Please call and send emails to Grassley and ask him to not block efforts to consider a qualified nominee for political reasons.

John Macatee

Re: ‘Student loan debt is unsustainable’

It amazes me that many of the students who incur student-loan debt take no responsibility for that debt. It always seems to be someone else’s fault that they cannot pay it back. Advice: Don’t go to school where you have to take on large debts to be there. Look for opportunity at lower-cost institutions. Community college is a wonderful option, but you still need to be able to pay for it.

If you can’t afford to go to college, do something else. Find a job. As a society, we have oversold higher education, and now everyone thinks they need a Harvard degree just to get by. This is crazy. The latest campaign promises include free tuition and that government will excuse these high student-loan debts. Who do you think will pay for this?

I served in the U.S. Army and am a Vietnam veteran. I used the GI bill to pay for my degree from Iowa. It has served me well, but I feel that from that military service I fully earned the degree. Students today must find an affordable school, be able to pay for that on their own, and/or find a way to secure financing that will not cripple them forever. Always remember, there is no free lunch. Someone always has to pay for it.

Michael Young