Reporters caught up with Bill Clinton on the campaign trail, and the former president lauded the late justice for the ability to have "honest arguments."

He said Scalia's ability to listen led to the justice's friendship with liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

"I always kind of liked Justice Scalia because he never pretended to like something he didn't," Clinton told reporters in a feed that was broadcast on CNN. 

According to the White House, President Obama spoke with the late justice's son Eugene Scalia to offer condolences to the family Saturday night. 

"The president extended his sympathies on behalf of the first family and the country," Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz told reporters. 

California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris offered condolences to Antonin Scalia's family, along with an assessment of his legacy.

"In his three decades on the Supreme Court, Justice Scalia left a lasting impression on American jurisprudence," she said in a statement. "Even those of us who vigorously disagreed with his views recognized the power of his intellect."

Appearing at a dinner with Democrats in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton went into more detail than her earlier emailed statement about the Supreme Court nomination process.

"Barack Obama is president of the United States until Jan. 20, 2017. That is a fact, my friends, whether the Republicans like it or not. Elections have consequences," Clinton said. "The president has a responsibility to nominate a new justice, and the Senate has a responsibility to vote. And all of us Democrats, we have a responsibility to make sure a Republican doesn’t win in November." 

She noted there are "340 days until the next president takes office. So that is plenty of time." She added that Justice Anthony Kennedy was confirmed in Reagan's final year.

The unexpected death of Antonin Scalia ends the long and consequential career of a powerful, intellectually gifted, caustic, conservative thinker who influenced not only the Supreme Court but also the nation -- occasionally for good, more often for ill.

In his rulings and writings, the former law professor and Justice Department official did much to rehabilitate the approach to constitutional interpretation he called "originalism" -- the debatable notion that the Constitution should be interpreted according to the meaning attached to its provisions at the time they were adopted. He had scorn for the idea of a "living Constitution," which he saw as promoting rigidity, not flexibility, in the law.

"My constitution is a very flexible one,” Scalia said in a speech at Princeton University in 2012. "There’s nothing in it about abortion and since there isn’t, it’s up to the citizens. Things change by democratic choice. The Supreme Court doesn’t have to abolish the death penalty. If the feelings of society come against it, it will be abolished by the states."

The White House Office of the Press Secretary issued a presidential proclamation Saturday evening stating that to mark Justice Scalia's passing, the flag will be flown at half-staff at the White House and all other government locations and buildings on the day of his funeral.

The full statement:

"As a mark of respect for Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the United States, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including section 7 of title 4, United States Code, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

We're covering the ninth Republican debate on Trail Guide. The opening question was about Justice Antonin Scalia's death and what comes next. 

President Obama said he would make his third nomination to the Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and called for a “timely vote” in a Senate led by Republicans who have said the choice should be left for the next president.

“I plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibilities to nominate a successor in due time,” Obama told reporters from a hotel in Rancho Mirage, where he is set to host a summit of Asian leaders this week.

“These are responsibilities that I take seriously, as should everyone,” he continued. “They are bigger than any one party. They are about our democracy, and they’re about the institution to which Justice Scalia dedicated his professional life, and making sure it continues to function as the beacon of justice that our founders envisioned.”

The full statement from Vice President Joe Biden:

"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to Maureen and the entire Scalia family on the loss of their beloved husband, father, and grandfather.

"Justice Scalia and I had fundamental disagreements about how the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution, but we shared a belief that sharp debates, tough questions, and deep respect for the adversarial process was an essential part of our judicial system and our democracy. That’s how our rule of law — forged with the deep principles and convictions of justices, and laid out in majority decisions and minority dissents — becomes the model for the world.

Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) put out a statement echoing Sen. Mitch McConnell's sentiment that the president elected this year should be the one to appoint Scalia's replacement.

Full statement:

"Justice Scalia was an intellectual giant. His originalist interpretation of the Constitution set the standard for the court. He had an unwavering dedication to the founding document that has guided our country for nearly 230 years. His humor, devotion to the Constitution and quick wit will be remembered for years to come. Barbara and I send our prayers to Justice Scalia’s family."

It only makes sense that we defer to the American people who will elect a new president to select the next Supreme Court justice.