Reports: Obama To Nominate Judge Merrick Garland To Succeed Scalia

This photo provided by the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit shows Chief Judge Merrick Garland in 2013, in Washington. (U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit via AP)
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President Obama will reportedly announce that Merrick Garland is his nominee to succeed late Justice Antonin Scalia, according to multiple news reports Wednesday morning. An official announcement was scheduled for 11 a.m. ET at the White House.

Garland is chief judge of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals For the DC Circuit.

Scalia died February 13 while staying at a resort in Texas. Almost immediately after his death was reported, Republicans signaled they would block Obama’s nominee no matter who he chose, arguing that the next President should chose Scalia’s replacement.

The Associated Press, as well as CNN, the Huffington Post, and Politico reported that Obama had selected Garland, citing Congressional sources. The Wall Street Journal and NBC News confirmed that Garland will be the nominee as well.

The reports followed a 9:30 a.m. conference call between the President and Senate Democrat leaders and members of the Judiciary Committee about his nominee pick.

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Notable Replies

  1. Who?

  2. Good choice, but I wonder who the back up is?

  3. Thought he’d nominate Sri.

  4. Color me not thrilled. The guy is 63, and is about as middle of the road as you can find.

  5. With all due respect to Judge Garland, maybe Obama should consider nominating somebody who isn’t a 63 year old white guy.

    Seriously, even if you get him on the bench it’s less than two decades before he needs to be replaced. And he’s not a minority or a woman so he doesn’t cause nearly as much trouble as another candidate might for swing state GOP senators up for reelection to obstruct even if he is the Chief Justice of the DC Court of Appeals.

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