washington president barack obama select merrick garland u.s. supreme court wednesday choose centrist judge mean win recalcitrant senate republicans whose leaders waste time spurn democratic president bruise political fight brew nomination also promise figure already contentious campaign nov. u.s. presidential election republican-led senate leaders vow hold confirmation hear up-or-down vote obama nominee garland 63 pick replace long-serving conservative justice antonin scalia die feb. 13. chicagoan like obama serve chief judge influential u.s. court appeal district columbia circuit former prosecutor past praise republicans democrats waste time press case senate confirmation administration dispatch garland capitol hill thursday huddle senator patrick leahy vermont senior judiciary committee democrat senate democratic leader harry reid nevada meet aim shore senate support nominee generate media coverage lifetime appointment high court require senate confirmation obama announcement prompt flood reaction private group work advance kill nomination uaw represent automobile aerospace agricultural workers call garland distinguish moderate judge federal judicial experience supreme court nominee history national rifle association executive director chris cox say basic analysis merrick garland judicial record show respect fundamental individual right keep bear arm self-defense republicans hop candidate party win presidential election demand obama leave seat vacant let successor swear next january make selection billionaire businessman donald trump lead among republicans nomination obama former secretary state hillary clinton front-runner democrats obama say republican senators give garland fair hear say fail abdication senate constitutional duty indicate process nominate confirm judge beyond repair move say would also undermine reputation supreme court faith american justice system democracy ultimately suffer well obama add introduce garland white house rise garden ceremony scalia death leave nine-member supreme court evenly split four liberals four conservative justices obama nominee could tilt court leave first time decades could affect rule contentious issue include abortion gun right death penalty political spend obama say supreme court suppose politics remain obama say politics unite state polarize precisely time play straight treat process appoint supreme court justice seriousness care deserve senate majority leader mitch mcconnell kentucky swiftly reiterate senate consider nomination president mcconnell spokesman say senator speak phone garland would hold perfunctory meet john cornyn texas second-ranking senate republican add person confirm reason go motion pretend like happen go happen crack begin appear mcconnell strategy completely shut nominee handful republican senators include susan collins maine kelly ayotte new hampshire jeff flake arizona mark kirk illinois rob portman ohio say would will meet garland collins say senate judiciary committee hold confirmation hear judiciary committee member orrin hatch whose past support garland cite obama say pick change view point obama nominee consider senator pat toomey pennsylvania tough re-election battle say merrick garland nominate next president would happy carefully consider nomination garland old supreme court nominee since republican richard nixon 1971 nominate lewis powell 64. presidents tend pick nominees young serve decades extend president legacy obama may reason choice old nominee might also entice senate republicans consider selection garland would become fourth jewish member nine-member court five roman catholics court obama consider pass garland make two prior supreme court appointments solid republican support senate vote 1997 confirm garland present job bipartisan 76-23 vote nominate democratic president bill clinton garland widely view moderate former prosecutor serve justice department clinton oversee prosecution 1995 oklahoma city bomb case include secure death penalty lead defendant anti-government militant timothy mcveigh current post know narrow centrist opinions rhetoric measure rather inflammatory even dissent stand obama vice president joe biden rise garden ceremony emotional garland refer oklahoma city bomb case say saw importance assure victims families justice system could work obama say fulfil constitutional duty name nominee say time senate job presidents stop work final year term neither senator obama say obama office since 2009 already name two justices supreme court sonia sotomayor 55 become first hispanic justice 2009 elena kagan 50 become fourth woman ever serve court 2010. democrats praise late choice merrick garland get bipartisan support one democratic senator charles schumer new york say hillary clinton call garland brilliant legal mind urge senate move ahead confirmation process trump say critical republicans take back white house avoid democrats shape supreme court decades come obama pick centrist high court nominee republicans unmoved