Other GOP senators, including Utah’s Orrin Hatch, are open starting confirmation hearings for Garland after the November election. Mostly, I think, it is to make some sort of symbolic stand against the “wickedness” of President Obama. “But if they’re going to do it in lame duck, do it now”, Reid proclaimed. “That’s not going to happen”.
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Todd did the same thing with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a 2008 clip of McConnell complaining about the Democrats shutting down lower-court confirmations that year.
President Obama has implored the Senate to give Garland a fair hearing without being ruled by inherent biases.
On the same show, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough responded: “We think it’s clear in the constitution that when there is a vacancy the president proposes a nominee and that’s been practice for decades or centuries”. He’s probably the most moderate of the names that were mentioned, and when you combine that with his age (and the fact that he’s a white man), Republicans won’t be able to say that Obama is trying to appoint some radical leftist who will pull the Court far to the left for the next 30 or 40 years.
This is an outrageous position, but McConnell rarely blunders on a tactical level, as some believed he did with the Scalia announcement. A growing number of Republicans are willing to meet with Garland, including Sen.
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake has raised that scenario.
In choosing a centrist judge with Republican appeal, President Obama hoped to corner GOP opponents who pledge to block his Supreme Court pick.
“Well Sen. Kirk is a terrific senator”, McConnell said.
His Democratic counterpart, minority leader Harry Reid, countered that the Republican “facade” was “cracking” on the issue. “The multiplicity of Republican rationalizations for their refusal to even consider Merrick B. Garland radiates insincerity”, Will wrote.
Later, Kasich walked back. Kasich said they should at least “have a meeting” and said, “If I’m president… maybe he’ll be under consideration for the Supreme Court”.
But the Supreme Court fight means that just two months after the Iowa caucuses, Iowans are starting to see political ads again from groups across the political spectrum.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign would not say whether she would commit to Garland for the long haul. If approved, the full Senate should impartially debate the qualifications of the nominee and vote, not according to politics and brinkmanship, but for the good of the American republic.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in order to get to 50, which was about an even bet before; with Trump leading the Republicans, that looks even more likely. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said that if he won, he would ask Obama to withdraw Garland’s nomination.
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Any way you cut it, Garland is an eminently qualified nominee with unparalleled experience and support from those across the political spectrum. Chuck Grassley, a 35-year incumbent and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is facing stronger re-election headwinds because of the issue.
