As the President stated "he is doing his job." this is his job because of
the usual Republican games that have plagued both of his terms.
Chuck
-----Original Message-----
From: Miriam Vieni
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 7:34 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] more about Obama's Supreme Court Nominee
Here's a part of an article fromCommon Views
According to MSNBC legal analyst Ari Melber, Garland fits the profile of a
nominee who from the White House's perspective is "judicially
unassailable"-an important descriptor given that the Republican Party, which
currently controls the U.S. Senate, has said it will not even consider or
hold hearings for any candidate Obama puts forth.
Ahead of specifically naming Garland, Obama said in a statement about the
pending announcement that he was confident his choice for the court would be
"not only eminently qualified to be a Supreme Court Justice" but is someone
who "deserves a fair hearing, and an up-or-down vote" by the Senate.
"As president, it is both my constitutional duty to nominate a justice and
one of the most important decisions that I-or any president-will make,"
Obama continued. "I'm doing my job. I hope that our senators will do their
jobs, and move quickly to consider my nominee. That is what the Constitution
dictates, and that's what the American people expect and deserve from their
leaders."
As NPR's reporting notes, "Garland's nomination opens a new chapter in what
could become an epic and bruising fight over both the ideological tilt of
the nation's highest court and President Obama's legacy."
Offering background on Garland, NPR reports that Garland has
cultivated a reputation for openness and collegiality at the D.C. Circuit, a
bench that's sometimes called the second most important in the land.
Before becoming a judge, Garland occupied top posts in the Justice
Department, where he oversaw some of the biggest investigations of the
Clinton era, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the Unabomber case, and
the Atlanta Olympics bombing.
Garland has been a finalist for two other Supreme Court openings during
Obama's presidency; he joined the appeals court in 1995, after a long Senate
delay and a 76-23 vote.
Garland has won praise from senior Republican figures, including Utah
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch and Chief Justice John Roberts.
Answering the question "Who Is Merrick Garland?" at ThinkProgress, Ian
Millhiser writes that despite his "moderate" reputation, "Garland's record
does not suggest that he would join the Court's right flank if confirmed to
the Supreme Court. He would likely vote much more often than not with the
Supreme Court's liberals, while occasionally casting a heterodox vote."
Obama's nomination of Garland, Millhiser adds, "appears to be an attempt to
box in Senate Republicans who've refused to confirm anyone Obama nominates.
There are strong reasons to doubt whether this strategy will work, however.
Sen. Hatch, who undoubtedly regrets his decision to praise Garland shortly
before this nomination, has outright refused to meet with anyone Obama
nominates to replace Scalia. And he's far from alone within the GOP caucus."
