A court fight for the ages – Axios

Ruth Bader Ginsburg feminist icon, legal giant, toast of pop culture left this statement with granddaughter Clara Spera as cancer closed in: "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."

The big picture: For all that the nation owes "Notorious RBG" the hip-hop-inspired nickname she enjoyed and embraced Republicans are planning to do their best to be sure her robe is quickly filled, despite that last wish, with her ideological polar opposite.

The Trump court, solidified with an astonishing third court pick in 3+ years is the more likely outcome.

Here's what we learned from both parties after the justice's death at 87, from metastatic pancreatic cancer, was announced about 7:30 p.m. ET:

Republicans familiar with the thinking at both ends of Capitol Hill say that every signal points to moving fast:

Jonathan Swan reported last year that when U.S. Appeals Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett of Chicago came up as Trump was picking a successor to Justice Anthony Kennedy, the president said: "I'm saving her for Ginsburg."

Look for Republicans to ignore the precedent they set when they stonewalled Merrick Garland, after he was nominated by President Obama in 2016.

Remember that the title of the wily McConnell's memoir is "The Long Game."

Politico's Tim Alberta author of "American Carnage," the best modern book on Republicans says in a smart piece:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told Sean Hannity on Fox News that it's "critical" a justice be confirmed before Nov. 3, in part because of the possibility of a "constitutional crisis" if there were a 4-4 split over a disputed election outcome.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, hoping that this election will make him Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, can be expected to fight ferociously against a rocket-docket confirmation.

Howard Wolfson, a Mike Bloomberg strategist who's a veteran of Senate campaigns, writes in his Daily Biscuit newsletter:

Reporting was contributed by Zachary Basu, Alexi McCammond, David Nather, Hans Nichols, Jonathan Swan and Alayna Treene.

Go deeper: Ginsburg's life ... What they're saying.

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A court fight for the ages - Axios