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4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016 Obama nominates Garland to Supreme Court Legal history Challenges GOP to consider pick A native of Chicago and graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Gar- By KATHLEEN land clerked for two appoin- HENNESSEY and MARY tees of Republican President CLARE JALONICK Dwight D. Eisenhower — the Associated Press liberal U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan Jr. WASHINGTON — Presi- and Judge Henry J. Friendly, dent Barack Obama nominated for whom Roberts also clerked. appeals court judge Merrick In 1988, he gave up a part- Garland to the Supreme Court QHU¶VRI¿FHLQDODZ¿UPWRFXW on Wednesday, challenging his teeth in criminal cases. As Republicans to drop their ada- an assistant U.S. attorney, he mant refusal to even consider joined the team prosecuting his choice in an election year. a Reagan White House aide Obama called Garland, charged with illegal lobbying a longtime jurist and former and did early work on the drug prosecutor, “one of Ameri- case against then-D.C. Mayor ca’s sharpest legal minds” and Marion Barry. He held a deserving of a full hearing top-ranking post in the Justice DQG 6HQDWH FRQ¿UPDWLRQ YRWH Department when he was dis- Republican leaders, however, patched to Oklahoma City the have said the vacant high court day after the bombing at the VHDW VKRXOG QRW EH ¿OOHG XQWLO federal courthouse to super- a new president is elected, a vise the investigation. The case stance Senate Majority Leader made his reputation. He over- Mitch McConnell emphasized saw the convictions of Timo- immediately after the White thy McVeigh and Terry Nich- House announcement. ols, and later supervised the Garland, 63, is the chief investigation into Unabomber judge for the United States Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo Ted Kaczynski. Court of Appeals for the Dis- Federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland, right, stands with President Barack Obama as he is introduced as 3UHVLGHQW %LOO &OLQWRQ ¿UVW trict of Columbia Circuit, a court Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court during an announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Wash- nominated him to the D.C. Cir- ZKRVHLQÀXHQFHRYHUIHGHUDOSRO- ington, Wednesday. Garland, 63, is the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a cuit in 1995. icy and national security matters court whose influence over federal policy and national security matters has made it a proving ground. +LVORQJFRQ¿UPDWLRQSUR- has made it a proving ground for cess then may have prepared potential Supreme Court justices. him for the one ahead. Garland lighting his work leading the Political leanings year would be too politicized. Court nominee since Lewis waited 2½ years to win con- Replacing Scalia investigation into the Okla- ,IFRQ¿UPHG*DUODQGZRXOG Republicans have set up a Powell, who was 64 when he ¿UPDWLRQWRWKHDSSHDOVFRXUW He would replace conserva- homa City bombing and pros- be expected to align with the task force that will orchestrate ZDVFRQ¿UPHGLQ Then, as now, one of the men tive, Justice Antonin Scalia, who ecutions. He quoted past praise more liberal members, but he attack ads, petitions and media Presidents tend to appoint blocking his path was Iowa died last month, leaving behind for Garland from Chief Justice is not viewed as down-the-line outreach. On the other side, young judges with the hope Sen. Charles Grassley, who DELWWHUHOHFWLRQ\HDU¿JKWRYHU John Roberts and Sen. Orrin liberal. Particularly on crimi- Obama allies are to run a Demo- they will shape the court’s said he had no quarrel with the future of the court. Hatch. And he said Garland’s nal defense and national secu- cratic effort targeting states where direction for as long as possible. Garland’s credentials but a Obama announced choice talent for bringing together rity cases, he’s earned a rep- Republicans might feel political Those factors had, until beef with the notion of a Dem- at a ceremony in the Rose Gar- “odd couples” made him a con- utation as centrist, and one of heat for opposing hearings. now, made Garland some- RFUDWLF SUHVLGHQW WU\LQJ WR ¿OO den, with Democratic Senate sensus candidate best poised to the few Democratic-appointed 2EDPD¶VFKRLFHULVNVGHÀDW- thing of a perpetual bridesmaid, a court Grassley felt had too leaders and allies looking on. become an immediate force on judges Republicans might have ing some of the energy among repeatedly on Obama’s high many seats. Garland, who had been the nation’s highest court. D IDVWWUDFNHG WR FRQ¿UPDWLRQ the Democratic base. Progres- court lists but never chosen. Grassley ultimately passed over before, choked The president urged the — under other circumstances. sives and civil rights activ- %XW KH LV ¿QGLQJ KLV relented, although he was not back tears, calling the nomina- Republican-led Senate not to In the current climate, Gar- ists had pushed the president moment at a time when Demo- one of the 32 Republicans who tion “the greatest honor of my OHWWKH¿HUFHDQGSDUWLVDQSROLW- land remains a tough sell. to name an African-American crats are seeking to apply max- voted in favor of Garland’s life.” He described his grand- ical climate quash the nomina- Republicans control the Senate, woman or to otherwise con- imum pressure on Republicans. FRQ¿UPDWLRQ 1RU ZDV 6HQ SDUHQWV¶ ÀLJKW IURP DQWL6HPL- tion of a “serious man.” ZKLFKPXVWFRQ¿UPDQ\QRP- tinue his efforts to expand the A key part of their strategy is Mitch McConnell, the other tism in Eastern Europe and his “This is precisely the inee, and GOP leaders want court’s diversity. casting Republicans as obstruc- major hurdle for Garland now. modest upbringing. time when we should play it to leave the choice to the next Garland — a white, male tionists ready to shoot down The Republicans who voted He said he viewed a judge’s straight,” Obama said. president, denying Obama a jurist with an Ivy League ped- a nominee that many in their LQ IDYRU RI FRQ¿UPDWLRQ DUH job as a mandate to set aside *DUODQG ZDV FRQ¿UPHG WR chance to alter the ideologi- igree and career spent largely own ranks once considered a Hatch, Sen. Dan Coats, Sen. personal preferences to “follow the D.C. Circuit in 1997 with cal balance of the court before in the upper echelon of Wash- consensus candidate. In 2010, Thad Cochran, Sen. Susan the law, not make it.” backing from a majority in both KH OHDYHV RI¿FH QH[W -DQXDU\ ington’s legal elite — breaks +DWFKFDOOHG*DUODQG³WHUUL¿F´ Collins, Sen. Jim Inhofe, Sen. Obama held up Garland as parties, including seven current Republicans contend that a con- no barriers. At 63 years old, he DQGVDLGKHFRXOGEHFRQ¿UPHG John McCain, and Sen. Pat diligent public servant, high- Republicans senators. ¿UPDWLRQ ¿JKW LQ DQ HOHFWLRQ would be the oldest Supreme “virtually unanimously.” Roberts. Instant Cash Rebate! A Better Loan Will Make You Smile! 5e¿nance Nearly ANY Loan To Wauna CU: CARS z BOATS MOTORCYCLES FURNITURE 60 Days No Payments! EDUCATION z RVS APPLIANCES DEBT z TRUCKS & MORE! 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