So would Hillary ask Obama to withdraw the Garland nomination or not?

[rachacha]

When Rachel asked her tonight, Hillary said she was "uncomfortable with that line of questioning", which is her prerogative. But did she actually answer the question? Is the answer yes, no, or maybe?

[kcjohn1]

1. I didn't hear one questioned answered (n/t)

[LuvLoogie]

2. Someone stirs shit then offers you the spoon, you decline.

[kcjohn1]

4. If you her answers, tell us the what was her answer to the Garland question?

[loyalsister]

3. I think she shouldn't

Many or maybe even most of us factor in potential SC nominess when we vote. But, it is not an elected position for good reason and should have as little entanglement with elections as possible.

[rachacha]

6. I think Obama's pick was reasonable given the current conditions,

but I'm not sure it serves its intended purpose post-November if he's not confirmed. So I see the logic in asking him to withdraw at that point too.

[kcjohn1]

5. The right answer is Bernies

I actually disagree with the candidate Obama put up.

But to support him, the dem nominee should be saying give this guy a vote, or Supreme court is on the ballot, and my candidate if I win will be more liberal.

What is the point of putting a conservative guy to appease GOP if at the end we just put him up next year? The GOP get the best of both worlds. Its either they take this guy now, or more liberal one next year when Clinton or Sanders is in office. That is hardball.

[CalvinballPro]

17. Where in the Constitution do you find the authority of a President-elect to dictate...

to the current sitting President how to manage POTUS's Constitutional duties?

You folks seem to have the same broken grasp of the Constitution that the Tea Party did. We chalked it up to them being uneducated Republican idiots. What's your excuse?

[jfern]

7. She doesn't answer questions she doesn't want to

Sometimes by giving a useless triangulation non answer.

[PonyUp]

11. She doesn't answer questions that are not scripted. She has to check the weather vane. n/t

[Stallion]

8. She Gave the Perfect Answer-Next

that's how a Democrat team-player and former Obama Secretary of State should answer the question

[LisaM]

9. You deliberately omitted the substance of her answer.

She continued by saying that we have one President at a time, and that Obama is still the President even though the Republicans are acting as if he isn't. The choice for now is Obama's.

Her answer was, in fact, pitch perfect but you tried to paint it as evasive.

See how you did that?

[rachacha]

10. She talked about republicans and supporting his choice "for now". So is that a no then?

I don't think I'm mischaracterizing what she said. Here's the video. Jump to 24 min, 50 sec:

What I heard was basically "I'm uncomfortable with this line of questioning. I support the Obama's choice now, unlike republicans. And I don't want to put daylight between me and the president."

But the question wasn't whether she supports the choice now, it was specifically, if elected president, would she ask Obama to withdraw his nomination if it was clear it wouldn't be confirmed by the time of the inauguration. Her answer seems to have left "wiggle room" for her to do the same as Sanders indicated he would, without owning up to it now.

Recall that she has a bunch of litmus tests:
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/268174-clinton-i-have-a-bunch-of-litmus-tests-for-supreme-court

[LisaM]

21. Obama will be in office until January 2017.

I'm sorry that you don't wish him to govern between now and then.

[Demsrule86]

12. She answered the question

She said Obama has the right to choose judges until the day he leaves office which is what Bernie should have said...he provided the GOP cover... which was not helpful.

[MineralMan]

13. She is not the President. The President nominates SCOTUS Justices.

It's not a question she should answer. The sitting President has nominated a justice. Hillary Clinton has no input into that at all. So, she rightly recused herself from answering, as she properly should.

Any other response would have been specious.

If, as should happen, hearings are held on Garland and he is confirmed by the Senate, then he will become a SCOTUS Justice. If not, the next President will have the opportunity to nominate someone. Right now, though, Barack Obama is the President. Democratic presidential candidates should not be second-guessing his nominations.

[CalvinballPro]

16. And certainly not disrespecting him by announcing that they'd ask him to take back his nomination

Sanders is practically a Republican, the way he backstabs Obama!

[hack89]

14. Depends if we can take the Senate or not.

if we do then we need a more liberal nominee.

[CalvinballPro]

15. She said that Obama is still the President, which IS her answer. POTUS nominates SCOTUS. nt

[geek tragedy]

18. her answer is that the Senate should vote on Garland now

that is also the correct answer

[BernieforPres2016]

19. Orrin Hatch recommended Garland before Obama appointed him

Hillary would probably withdraw his nomination and replace him with somebody more conservative. I think maintaining the Citizens United ruling will be the key litmus test for her.

[democrattotheend]

20. For once, I am grateful for her tendency to equivocate

Bad idea for her to get pinned down on that. We want the pukes to fear her nominating someone more liberal if they don't confirm Garland before the election.