Hot potato: Clinton approaches nomination of Garland to court with caution

With the nomination of Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court, President Barack Obama has handed Hillary Clinton a hot potato.

Garland, a moderate with appeal to many Republicans, allowed Clinton little choice but to embrace him as a nominee.

But she does not want to appear to support him too strongly, lest she anger the Democratic left, which is wary of Garland and which she needs come November.

Her dilemma was apparent in her cautious reaction to the choice of Garland by the president. She described Garland's experience both in the judiciary and in public service, his "brilliant legal mind" and past achievement of "bipartisan support and admiration."

But her campaign staff would not say whether she would commit to Garland, arguing that Republicans won't be able to sustain denying the judge a Senate vote. And her campaign said it was not likely there would still be a vacancy when she wins the presidency, allowing her to get around the question of whether she would throw her support behind him if elected.

Published in Editorials on March 21, 2016 10:41 AM