WASHINGTON ¨C President Barack Obama cannot select the most liberal possible candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court and should seek a ¡°consensus¡± pick who could attract Republican support, Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday.
A fierce political fight is brewing as the Democratic president prepares to name a successor to conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died on Saturday. Obama¡¯s nominee could change the court¡¯s balance of power. Scalia¡¯s death left it with four conservative and four liberal justices.
Many Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have said the seat should remain vacant until Obama¡¯s successor takes office next January so voters can have a say in the selection when they choose a new president in the Nov. 8 election.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.