Pat Robertson made the claim on his nationally-syndicated TV show, The 700 Club, while urging Republicans to block Barack Obama’s nomination for the Supreme Court vacancy. But Senate Republicans led by Mitch McConnell, having woefully failed in his stated objective of making Mr. Obama a one-term president, are trying to invalidate the previous year of Mr. Obama’s second term by creating the longest Supreme Court vacancy in history.
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In announcing his pick, Obama earlier held out Garland as a judge with deep experience who had earned the respect of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
The president says he reached out to every member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to seek advice about the nomination. Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
In a statement today from U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) he said he will not vote in favor of Obama’s nominee.
Warren said she planned on meeting with Garland and closely reviewing his record, in order to come to decide on whether she will vote in favor of his nomination.
McConnell told the nominee he won’t meet with him in a phone call Wednesday afternoon. He says Garland is widely recognized for his excellence.
The public pressure will begin Thursday when Garland begins to make the rounds on Capitol Hill, as GOP senators are split on whether to even meet with him. If the Senate does not withhold consent on the President’s nomination, it would forfeit the only check on executive power it has left.
How could Republicans vote to confirm President Obama’s nominee when they have been arguing that the next president should make the choice?
McConnell cited the so-called “Biden rule” of 1992, which he says demands a delay of the confirmation process until after the next presidential election.
President Obama believes blocking Garland is the wrong move for America. Marco Rubio returned to the Senate on Thursday hopeful that the billionaire could still be blocked – the GOP has backed itself into a hard position of allowing either Trump or a Democratic president, potentially Hillary Clinton, to chose the next justice.
The president wants Senate Republicans to grant hearings and a confirmation vote to his nominee. He is 63, considered a bit senior for a Supreme Court nominee.
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“I continue to hope that the Senate will be able to put election year gamesmanship aside, and do the right thing by not unfairly holding up Judge Garland’s confirmation”.
