Bernie Sanders told Rachel Maddow Thursday night that, while he’ll “strongly support” President Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick B. Garland to the Supreme Court, he’s not that excited about it.
“Well, probably not the most progressive pick that he could’ve made,” Sanders told Maddow. “But I will strongly support the president’s selection of Judge Garland. The idea that the president should not be able to make a nomination is totally absurd. Republican obstructionism just tells us what’s been going on for the last seven years.”
That said, he added, if he’s elected President, he’ll ask President Obama to withdraw Garland’s nomination:
Sanders said his litmus test for a SCOTUS pick would be his or her willingness to overturn Citizens United, the ruling that treats corporate money-flinging in election as free speech. And Garland’s record, indeed, suggests that he wouldn’t be that guy, as he wrote an opinion siding with Citizens United. And Time points out that his record on other liberal issues is “varied,” siding against detainees at Guantanamo Bay by ruling they couldn’t sue in civilian courts and issuing mixed rulings on things like environmental issues.
Still, though—crazy idea—perhaps the guy that’s in office for another 235 days shouldn’t have trouble at least getting a hearing for the person he’s picked?
Here’s the full clip:
Screenshot via MSNBC
DISCUSSION
I find this to be really frustrating. Of course, Garland isn’t the most progressive pick; in the current political climate, where even this moderate nominee is unlikely to get a fair hearing, a more progressive candidate would especially be DOA. Obama was/is being a savvy politician by offering up a qualified candidate who is largely unobjectionable to Republicans, making it even more obvious that they are behaving ridiculously and hopefully this affecting their election chances in November.
You’ve been a politician for several decades now, Mr Sanders...you must know how this went down. Please don't insult the president by making it sound like he just shied away from picking someone more left. He knew what he was doing.