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U.S. NEWSWednesday 2 March 2016
Obama, congressional leaders talk Supreme Court vacancy
KATHLEEN HENNESSEY to needle a GOP establish- President Barack Obama meets with, from left, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ranking mem-
Associated Press ment uncomfortable with ber Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Senate Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid of Nev., Vice President Joe
WASHINGTON (AP) — Af- the prospects of Trump Biden, the president, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., and Senate Judiciary Com-
ter an Oval Office sit-down presidency. mittee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washing-
on Tuesday did nothing to The meeting — which also ton, Tuesday, March 1, 2016, to discuss the vacancy in the Supreme Court.
move Republican Senate included Vice President
leaders off their hard line Joe Biden, Senate Minor- (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
against a Supreme Court ity Leader Harry Reid, Sen.
nomination, Democrats Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the wait and see what Presi- as awkward White House time for the people to
pulled out another weap- ranking Democrat on the dent Trump will do, I guess.” meetings — dispensed voice their opinion about
on in the heated election- judiciary committee — Reid’s comments were with, the fight over the the role of the Supreme
year fight: Donald Trump. was the first time the lead- aimed at riling up Demo- court was largely a battle Court in our constitutional
In a White House meet- ers have met since Justice crats, as well as moderate for public opinion. system of government.”
ing that lasted less than Antonin Scalia’s death last and establishment Repub- “Whether everybody in the At another time, the gath-
an hour, Senate Majority month set off a high-stakes licans who cringe at the meeting today wanted to ering might have been a
Leader Mitch McConnell, clash over the Supreme thought of the unpredict- admit it, we all know that nod to the tradition of at
R-Ky., and Judiciary Com- Court vacancy. able celebrity candidate considering a nomination least limited cooperation in
mittee Chairman Chuck While the men huddled at controlling the future of the in the middle of a heated naming and confirming jus-
Grassley, R-Iowa, told Presi- the White House, voters in court. It was an early sign presidential campaign is tices to the nation’s highest
dent Barack Obama that 12 states were preparing that with formalities — such bad for the nominee, bad court. The president might
any confirmation process to weigh in on a presiden- for the court, bad for the have floated potential
during a presidential cam- tial contest that has tanked process, and ultimately candidates; Senate op-
paign would politicize the Obama’s chances of filling bad for the nation,” Grass- position might have come
court. They offered up no the seat — but also given ley said in his statement armed with their own pre-
potential candidates that Democrats a new line of about the meeting. “It’s ferred names.
would win their backing attack. As they emerged
and no route to filling the from the meeting, they
seat. quickly linked the GOP
“This vacancy will not be strategy to the Republican
filled this year,” McCon- front-runner poised to pick
nell told reporters after the up significant momentum
meeting. Tuesday night.
Democrats accused Re- “All we want them to do
publicans of trying to hold is fulfill their Constitutional
the seat open so that a Re- duty and do their job, and
publican president can fill at this stage, they decided
it. That president could be not to do that,” Reid said.
Trump, they noted, hoping “They think that they can
