On Wednesday, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a 63-year-old federal judge, to fill the late Antonin Scalia’s spot on the Supreme Court. Senate Republicans have responded that they will not even consider Garland’s nomination because they believe the nominee should be chosen via a presidential election rather than by Obama.
Some have said that the GOP’s position is a staggeringly if predictably cynical insult to the ideals of civil society. However, in doing some background research on the subject, I’ve uncovered some information that should clear this whole thing up.
Here’s the scoop: Apparently, the “American people” actually already chose a president in 2012, electing Barack Obama—by a 5 million vote margin—to fill the position until Jan. 20, 2017.
That election—and a previous election that he won by a 10 million vote margin—was actually how Obama got the title president in the first place!
And under the rules of the U.S. Constitution, which you can read more about here, the person who wins the presidential election is in fact the one who’s supposed to pick Supreme Court justices.
The more you know!
Now someone just needs to tell the Republican party about this, and we’ll be all set to roll on Garland’s confirmation hearings.
Read more on Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
