President Obama visited the University of Chicago Law School Thursday afternoon to bemoan the Senate’s lack of action on his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland. The president said that Garland is “indisputably qualified” to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, while Sen. Dick Durbin, who met with Garland earlier in the day, said that opposition from Senate Republicans was “personal” and delaying a vote amounted to ignoring the Constitution.
#SCOTUS nominee #merrickgarland is "Indisputably qualified" for the spot, #Obama says, kicking off @UChicagoLaw event to push Republicans
— Lynn Sweet (@lynnsweet) April 7, 2016
"He is as good of a judge as we have in this country," says @POTUS of his SCOTUS nominee Chief Judge Merrick Garland.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 7, 2016
GOP SCOTUS blockade: "It's personal" and aimed against #Obama. That's bottom line for Sen. @DickDurbin. https://t.co/Yh8YzYSyDB
— Lynn Sweet (@lynnsweet) April 7, 2016
The president also took questions from law students, one of whom asked what Garland, a white man, brought to the table in terms of diversity.
"Not to brag, but I've transformed the federal courts, from a diversity standpoint, with a record that's unmatched." @POTUS at @UChicagoLaw
— Juliet Eilperin (@eilperin) April 7, 2016
Where else is there to go, then?
"Well, he's from Skokie," says Pres Obama of his SCOTUS nominee when asked what diversity he would bring to the Court.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 7, 2016
Asked what diversity #merrickgarland brings to #SCOTUS, #Obama said, "He's from #Skokie." Born #Chicago, raised #Lincolnwood HS in Skokie.
— Lynn Sweet (@lynnsweet) April 7, 2016
But Pres says at no point did he conclude he needed "a black lesbian from Skokie" for diversity on SCOTUS.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 7, 2016
"I need a black lesbian from Skokie" – now there's a POTUS quote that needs some context.
— Andrew Beatty (@AndrewBeatty) April 7, 2016
@markknoller @daveweigel
LOL! I grew up in Skokie. No black lesbians in Skokie. White ones, mostly Jewish, but wow, Skokie was lily white!— ?Karmageddon? (@TinaMcGugan) April 7, 2016
@markknoller @daveweigel Is "from Skokie" a euphemism for Jewish?
— PJ Doland (@pjdoland) April 7, 2016
@markknoller @MarcACaputo he cried himself to sleep when staff told him there were no black lesbian judges available for SCOTUS
— Jason Hornbuckle (@JasonHornbuckle) April 7, 2016
So America is just supposed to settle for … a white guy? It looks like Justice Sonia Sotomayor was wasting her time selling herself as “a wise Latina woman” whose richness of experience and Latina soul would lead her to reach a better conclusion “than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Obama on Garland: "Yeah he’s a white guy. But he’s a really outstanding jurist. Sorry!"
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) April 7, 2016
"Yeah he's a white guy. But he's a really outstanding jurist. I think that's important." @POTUS on @SCOTUSnom Merrick Garland
— Juliet Eilperin (@eilperin) April 7, 2016
Will the Senate eventually admit the value in Garland’s wise Skokie soul and call off its blockade?
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