SCOTUS Brief 3/30/2016
Politico: Sen. Gillibrand “quite confident” Garland “deserving of my support” after “discussing issues like ‘reproductive rights’” – CNN’s Manu Raju: “Tall order to see Merrick Garland confirmed this year”
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- A revelation that could send red state Democrats heading for the exits on Garland: Politico’s Burgess Everett writes that New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is “quite confident” Merrick Garland is “deserving of my support” after “discussing issues like ‘reproductive rights.’”
Politico: Some Dems won’t commit yet to Garland
“A few minutes later Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York met with Garland and was far more committal, becoming one of the few senators to say outright they are ready to support him should he ever get a vote. ‘I actually feel quite confident that he is deserving of my support because he is highly qualified,’ Gillibrand said after discussing issues like ‘reproductive rights’ and financial issues…‘The White House wants folks to believe that Judge Garland is just right, but the reality is he’s a nightmare for red state democrats, which explains their silence,” said one senior Republican aide on Wednesday.’”
- On CNN today, Manu Raju reports that “there’s not much movement on the Republican side” towards hearings for Merrick Garland, adding it is “a tall order to see him confirmed this year.”
CNN’s Manu Raju: “A tall order to see Merrick Garland confirmed this year”
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD: CNN’s Manu Raju is watching Judge Garland’s progress, such as it is, on Capitol Hill. I have heard this, I think Politico has described it as a “game of inches” for the administration. So would this first meeting be the first inch?
MANU RAJU: That’s what the White House certainly hopes. They think pressure will mount, more defections and eventually that this nominee will be confirmed. But I can tell you there’s really not much movement on the Republican side.
…
RAJU: Now the hope for the Democrats is more endangered Senators start to break ranks. But we’re really not seeing that at this this point. Senators from New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin who are in very difficult re-election races do not want to consider this nominee. Maybe they are willing to meet with him, certainly not to vote for him. So really a tall order to see Merrick Garland confirmed this year.
BANFIELD: I would say a tall order to get a bunch more meetings on the agenda, too.
