Can Obama Appoint Garland Without Senate?

While Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland cools his heels amid Republicans' refusal to hold confirmation hearings, Barack Obama is almost surely plotting his next move in this ginned up political drama. Shaming his opponents in the media is unlikely to move the needle in his direction.

Both sides have staked out their position, and there is little that can be done to sway them at this point. The Republicans don’t want to allow Obama the opportunity to pack the Court with another liberal before he leaves office. The Democrats will do whatever it takes to get their man nominated, conveniently forgetting that they practically invented the judicial nominee filibuster or that Obama is the only Senator-cum-president to ever supportsuch a tactic on a Supreme Court nominee.

One trick that Obama might try should the Senate refuse to act on his nomination is to simply appoint Garland directly to the Court. Can this be done?

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from Salisbury News http://ift.tt/1XAHSZJ