While the White House is supposedly vetting Sandoval, but I don’t think Obama is going nominate Brian Sandoval anymore than he will nominate Pablo Sandoval. I have also spoken to Senators Reid, Heller and McConnell and expressed the same desire to them.
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Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley on Thursday reiterated that the Senate would not act on any Supreme Court nominee until the next president takes office in January 2017, following the November 8 presidential election.
President Barack Obama’s purported consideration of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval as his Supreme Court nominee has proved to be short lived, as the centrist governor pulled his name from the running on Thursday.
Martin, Sandoval’s communications director, said Wednesday that the governor hasn’t been contacted by the White House.
Sandoval has raised taxes and declined to join state Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a Republican, in a federal lawsuit challenging US regulations that protect the sage grouse. Whether or not Sandoval was being genuinely considered doesn’t matter anymore, since he’s removed his name from consideration.
Republicans had sworn a “solemn oath before God” said Mr Leahy, to uphold the constitution and fill empty Supreme Court seats. Sandoval’s mention was thought to be a way around Republican senators’ resistance to considering an Obama nominee.
The White House will hold a meeting next Tuesday to discuss President Obama’s plan to fulfill his Constitutional duty and nominate a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly last week. “I certainly hope that the Senate rethinks this and entertains whoever the president’s puts forward”. Heller’s written statement concluded, “But should he decide to nominate someone to the Supreme Court, who knows, maybe it’ll be a Nevadan”.
Senate Democrats decried the position of Toomey and other Republicans – who have said they won’t meet with a nominee – as signals of the lawmakers failing to do their jobs. The Washington Post reported that Sandoval told Reid, the Senate minority leader, was unsure whether he would accept the nomination but wanted to remain a candidate.
During Thursday’s conference call with the senator, one reporter suggested the voters spoke on such matters by reelecting Obama in 2012.
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Obama is likely to announce a nominee before the Senate recesses on March 21. Grassley began his senate speech today by accusing Reid of doing “tremendous damage” to the U.S. Senate when he was majority leader.
