Obama’s Supreme Court justice nominee wells up over ‘greatest honor’ of his life – as Republicans line up to block him from ever getting onto the bench
The President is due to make an announcement at 11am today of who will replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia
Sources have said Obama has narrowed the list to three appeals court judges
They are Merrick Garland, the chief judge of the appeals courts in Washington, D.C.; Sri Srinivasan, a judge on that court; and Paul Watford of the appeals courts based in San Francisco
Pick is Garland networks now say
He has little chance of making it through the congressional consideration process; Republicans in charge say they won’t give him a hearing
By Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent
Dailymail.com
16 March 2016
U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to replace conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia today.
Obama made the announcement just after 11am in the White House Rose Garden.
Garland’s decency, modesty and integrity have ‘earned him the respect and admiration of leaders from both sides of the aisle, Obama said today, and called him a ‘thoughtful, air-minded judge who follows the law.
Garland is the chief judge of the appeals courts in Washington, D.C., the same panel that the high court’s chief justice, John Roberts, sat on.
The 63-year-old said the appointment was the ‘greatest honor of my life’ and also the ‘greatest gift’ aside from his marriage and the birth of his daughters.
The chances of Garland making it past the Senate are slim to none, however, with Republicans making an election-year promise to block anyone the outgoing president selects.
Obama urged senators ‘to play it straight’ and give Garland the consideration he is afforded by the Constitution.
‘I hope they are fair. That is all,’ Obama said today. ‘He deserves our thanks, he deserves a fair hearing.’
The Rest…HERE
