DENVER – The responses in Colorado to President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nomination were predictable Wednesday, splitting down partisan lines.
Republicans believe the president acted irresponsibly, denying Americans a choice in a presidential election year.
Democrats, however, say the president is fulfilling his constitutional duty by nominating Merrick Garland, choosing a moderate federal appeals court judge with a reputation for working across party lines.
“This is not the time to play politics to satisfy our political bases,” U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, said in a statement. “The Senate should do its job.”
Senate Republican leadership has signaled that it would block the nomination, to the ire of Democrats, who say the move would ultimately backfire for the GOP.
“How we manage our constitutional duty to provide serious consideration and deliberation to a rare appointment to the nation’s highest judicial office will determine whether we deserve the respect of Americans who rightly expect us to exhibit dignity, mutual respect and wisdom on their behalf,” said Bennet, who is running for re-election this year.
One of Bennet’s possible opponents, Jon Keyser, encouraged the Senate to delay action. Keyser is competing in a crowded Republican U.S. Senate field in Colorado.
“It’s despicable that President Obama has used the death of Justice Scalia as a partisan political opportunity since the day that he died,” Keyser said. “Bennet should join with Americans across our country and support efforts to have our next president nominate Justice Scalia’s replacement to the Supreme Court.”
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican, echoed similar thoughts.
“Our next election is too soon and the stakes are too high,” Gardner said. “The American people deserve a role in this process as the next Supreme Court Justice will influence the direction of this country for years to come.”
pmarcus@durangoherald.com