- Thu May 05, 2016 8:35 pm
#71493
President Obama’s nominee to fill the seat on the Supreme Court left vacant by the death of conservative icon Antonin Scalia has been languishing in political limbo ever since he was revealed as the president’s choice on March 16. Republicans in the Senate, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley have flatly refused to grant Garland either a hearing or a vote on his nomination.
However, with the news that Trump is now the expected nominee, many Republicans are anticipating a loss in November, and are expressing willingness to reconsider Garland, a demonstrated moderate, rather than relying on President Hillary Clinton to nominate someone more appealing.
It would take some maneuvering for Senate Republicans to engineer a face-saving climb down from their stand against the jurist, who is currently chief judge of the Federal court of appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. But considering that the rationale for refusing to act on the nomination was a fiction to begin with, surely they can come up with a storyline that explains an about-face on Garland.
However, with the news that Trump is now the expected nominee, many Republicans are anticipating a loss in November, and are expressing willingness to reconsider Garland, a demonstrated moderate, rather than relying on President Hillary Clinton to nominate someone more appealing.
It would take some maneuvering for Senate Republicans to engineer a face-saving climb down from their stand against the jurist, who is currently chief judge of the Federal court of appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. But considering that the rationale for refusing to act on the nomination was a fiction to begin with, surely they can come up with a storyline that explains an about-face on Garland.
