A Garland Pick for High Court Could Spur Liberal Opposition
Conservative groups are already digging in to fight potential nominees to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. But liberal-leaning groups may end up doing the same if President Obama picks U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Merrick B. Garland to succeed Stevens.
The Washington Post reports that “a small but vocal group of activists” is saying that Garland isn’t liberal enough to fill Stevens’ shoes.
“They say Garland is a centrist who won’t champion liberal concerns, too often finds middle ground with his conservative colleagues on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and showed great deference to President George W. Bush’s indefinite detentions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,” the Post reports.
But detractors acknowledge that Garland is well-liked by “progressives and conservatives as a consensus-building judge” and could be a smooth-sailing pick for the White House.
