washington white house press forward tuesday uphill battle win senate confirmation president barack obama supreme court nominee provide senators merrick garland voluminous responses question background 141 page answer standard question pose u.s. supreme court nominees plus another 2,066 page appendices fill six box wheel u.s. capitol build reporters see let confirmation hear never lifetime time nominee supreme court justice offer hear say senator patrick leahy 76-year-old top democrat senate judiciary committee senate republicans block consideration garland centrist federal appeal court judge nominate democratic president march say obama successor fill court vacancy leave february death justice antonin scalia white house spokesman josh earnest call questionnaire provide senate exhaustive picture judge garland distinguish career impeccable credentials questionnaire become tradition supreme court nominees part confirmation process process anything traditional time around republican blockade least three judiciary committee republicans say would read garland material one senator jeff flake arizona say democrat hillary clinton win presidency nov. senate confirm garland post-election legislative session take office january flake say conservative jurist replace scalia garland could good alternative potentially liberal nominee clinton billionaire businessman donald trump presumptive republican presidential nominee us senate republicans believe trump would appoint somebody conservative hillary would flake say add like sure that republicans sell trump conservative credentials garland material provide insights 63-year-old judge view career highlight garland cite 2008 rule author back chinese uighur detain guantanamo bay prison 2015 rule appeal court uphold long-standing ban u.s. government contractors make campaign contributions federal elections senate democratic leader harry reid ask whether white house withdraw garland nomination clinton win allow make pick respond think great addition court consensus nominee garland man white house prod senate garland amid republican blockade