Republican senators are doing the wrong thing refusing to even consider President Barack Obama’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court for the right reason: The president’s history of nominating activists rather than jurists. Will criticized Republicans for using the “Biden rule” as an excuse to deny Judge Merrick Garland, Obama’s nominee, a hearing.
Advertisement
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough insisted Obama has no intention of withdrawing Garland’s name from consideration, regardless of what happens in November.
Most Republicans oppose President Barack Obama’s nominee, saying nobody should be appointed to fill deceased Justice Antonin Scalia’s vacancy during a hotly contested presidential election year.
Reid said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) was marching his caucus over a cliff with his stance on Garland. “And I think that Garland is astronomically qualified and should be confirmed”. “But I think eventually we’re going to have to say yes or no within a reasonable amount of time”.
On Friday, Kirk said that Senate Republicans should “man up and vote” on Garland’s nomination.
The Washington Post Fact-Checker blog gave the notion that the Senate has a constitutional responsibility to act on Supreme Court nominations a “Three Pinocchio” rating, writing, “the Senate majority can in effect do what it wants – unless it becomes politically uncomfortable”.
He said he couldn’t imagine “a Republican majority Senate – even if it were soon to be a minority – would want to confirm a judge that would move the court dramatically to the left”.
The deadlock sets the stage for an election-year showdown that will see both sides attempt to increase the electoral costs for their opponents.
This is an outrageous position, but McConnell rarely blunders on a tactical level, as some believed he did with the Scalia announcement.
Reid made his comments after meeting with Garland in his Senate office, a years-old tradition for Supreme Court nominees during the confirmation process. We have never held up a Supreme Court nomination. It was left to the Republican National Committee to issue a “meet Merrick Garland” press release depicting him as an anti-gun, pro-big government liberal. He floated the idea of considering the Garland’s nomination in the postelection session because “between him and somebody that a President Clinton might nominate, I think the choice is clear”.
“I understand that we’re in the middle of an especially noisy and volatile political season”, Obama said. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is running against Hillary Clinton, are scheduled to appear on one show each.
Advertisement
“You’re going to be surprised at how hard we’re going to work to make sure this is on the front pages of all the papers”, Reid told reporters with Garland.
