Obama to nominate Merrick Garland

[ESF]

On Today now

[2curlydogs]

Holy shit Wikipedia is fast.

Merrick Brian Garland (born November 13, 1952) is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court to replace the seat of Antonin Scalia.

[aurora]

So, I could Google him in general but I remember you saying you weren't excited about him. Care to reshare? Or link to your previous explanation?

ESF

[ESF]

Mar 16, 2016 9:06:10 GMT -5 aurora said:

So, I could Google him in general but I remember you saying you weren't excited about him. Care to reshare? Or link to your previous explanation?

ESF

Read his bio, then read the other five.

www.vox.com/2016/3/12/11206662/obama-scalia-srinivasan-garland-watford

He's probably going to be similar to Kennedy - right leaning moderate. And seems pro-cop, which is not good for purposes of civil liberties.

[mcsangel2]

Mar 16, 2016 9:05:44 GMT -5 2curlydogs said:

Holy shit Wikipedia is fast.

Merrick Brian Garland (born November 13, 1952) is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court to replace the seat of Antonin Scalia.

I opened it a minute ago and I don't have that updated bit.

[aurora]

Mar 16, 2016 9:09:18 GMT -5 ESF said:

Mar 16, 2016 9:06:10 GMT -5 aurora said:

So, I could Google him in general but I remember you saying you weren't excited about him. Care to reshare? Or link to your previous explanation?

ESF

Read his bio, then read the other five.

www.vox.com/2016/3/12/11206662/obama-scalia-srinivasan-garland-watford

He's probably going to be similar to Kennedy - right leaning moderate. And seems pro-cop, which is not good for purposes of civil liberties.

Interesting. I hve to wonder if Obama's strategy is to push forward a candidate the Senate R's should in general be OK with to call their no hearing bluff, making them appear even crazier if they won't do their jobs.

[darnkatz]

I'm not excited.

[gretchenindisguise]

The only reason I'm not horribly disappointed is that someone pointed out yesterday that this won't hurt Merricks career and it had the potential to hurt Sri's, so I'm going to say it's strategic to help Sri in the long run.

[eclaires]

I think this guy is a patsy. I feel very conspiracy theorist about it.

[centralsquare]

Mar 16, 2016 9:25:44 GMT -5 eclaires said:

I think this guy is a patsy. I feel very conspiracy theorist about it.

Same here. I hope the GOP doesn't call his bluff. Seems like they wouldn't actually be willing to give in, even if it's the best they'll get in the long run.

[WanderingWinoZ]

well see what the GOP does....
he may be a sacrificial lamb...

[StrawberryBlondie]

I was hoping for Jane Kelly but I like this pick.

ETA: from a strategic standpoint. His resume is extremely impressive and he seems pretty moderate.

[isabel]

This is not a give-no-fucks-Obama move. I'm hoping WanderingWinoZ is right- he's a sacrificial lamb to prove a point. I actually kind of hope the GOP sticks to their current stance. This nomination doesn't make me happy.

[secretlyevil]

I think Obama is playing a very good chess game.

[twotrue]

I'm not surprised because since the start I thought he would have to go with a white male to make the republicans move on this. They will move to vote on one of their own faster than any female/minority candidate Obama was to nominate. They can fold their hand and accept the moderate white guy or wait for HRC to come in with a pick even farther to the left.

[ttt]

I can't say I'm excited about this, but I trust that Obama has his strategy set up here.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Mar 16, 2016 9:54:01 GMT -5 twotrue said:

I'm not surprised because since the start I thought he would have to go with a white male to make the republicans move on this. They will move to vote on one of their own faster than any female/minority candidate Obama was to nominate. They can fold their hand and accept the moderate white guy or wait for HRC to come in with a pick even farther to the left.

Which is why I think this pick is kind of brilliant. While I think the Republicans are way overplaying their hand with this, I think they're going to cling to it for a while. And look like absolute idiots.

I also think if Clinton is the nominee, she's going to nominate a liberal bomb-thrower.

So the Republicans clinging to this "the people must decide" mantra will really have shot themselves in the foot.

[underwaterrhymes]

Although I think this is strategic and incredibly smart, I'm still disappointed. If I couldn't have Loretta Lynch, I wanted Sri.

[Deleted]

Agree it's strategy. The GOP not even giving him a hearing means they risk appointments by Hillary or Drumpf and end up looking like even bigger idiots not even giving this guy a chance when they have it.

[simpsongal]

He's speaking now....could this guy have more of a name that screams "Dude on the Supreme Court"?

Anyone ever had a plumber name Merrick Garland?

[eclaires]

My conspiracy theory also includes that no one else wanted to be put up to possibly fail and risk their career. This guy is 63. If he isn't confirmed, oh well. But with someone like Sri, who may have a chance later since he's young, it's not necessarily worth the risk.

[eclaires]

He likes comic books so I love him. Ha!

[mbcdefg]

Mar 16, 2016 10:07:54 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

He's speaking now....could this guy have more of a name that screams "Dude on the Supreme Court"?

Anyone ever had a plumber name Merrick Garland?

I was just thinking that his name IS rather "twee" (for lack of a better word). 

[NitaX]

I'm also on the strategy team. I mean really - ya'll got a problem with a moderate, Harvard educated white dude? Gone look bad playa, because Obama comes out winning on this.

[simpsongal]

Mar 16, 2016 10:08:43 GMT -5 eclaires said:

He likes comic books so I love him. Ha!

Yup - He sold his comics and stocked shelves to pay for Harvard law.

Unless I had Superman #1 in mint condition..... MUST BE NICE.

[WOT?*]

I'm on the "white male moderate so this is a play to make the Republicans show their cards" train over here.

Any of the other choices (minority, female) and it's out of their wheelhouse and another "Muslim Socialist Obama pulling a fast one in his lame duck Presidency" defense for their not moving forward. He has to go with a Sheep's Clothing choice to make them look bad or get his more moderate than they'll otherwise approve nomination on the bench.

[eclaires]

Mar 16, 2016 10:12:18 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

Mar 16, 2016 10:08:43 GMT -5 eclaires said:

He likes comic books so I love him. Ha!

Yup - He sold his comics and stocked shelves to pay for Harvard law.

Unless I had Superman #1 in mint condition..... MUST BE NICE.

I bet tuition was a lot less then, lol.

[simpsongal]

Mar 16, 2016 10:14:13 GMT -5 eclaires said:

Mar 16, 2016 10:12:18 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

Yup - He sold his comics and stocked shelves to pay for Harvard law.

Unless I had Superman #1 in mint condition..... MUST BE NICE.

I bet tuition was a lot less then, lol.

My FIL went to HLS in the 1970s and he likes to commiserate w/me over SLs b/c he borrowed a little to get through his last year of school. Mmmm K, FIL.

My SIL and BIL graduated from HLS a couple years ago - their dual education costs could have set me up for life (assuming I invested wisely).

[fortnightlily]

I definitely think it's strategic, and intelligently so. Even if he's confirmed and we end up with another moderate on the bench, it's still likely there will be more vacancies for the next elected president to fill and if it's Hillary she can pick more liberal justices then. Much as I wish we could just clone RBG and keep her around forever.

[NitaX]

"I hope they are fair." Damn right. Because if y'all can't be fair to this white dude, I give up.