President Obama defines his ideal justice in SCOTUSblog post

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

published 24 February 2016

Despite Senate Republicans' vows that they will refuse to hold hearings on any Obama nominee to replace leading conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died earlier this month, President Obama is forging ahead, penning a guest post for SCOTUSblog about his nominating criteria.

"I thought I'd share some spoiler-free insights into what I think about before appointing... our next Supreme Court Justice," Obama wrote in the post, titled "A Responsibility I Take Seriously."

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The Constitution vests in the President the power to appoint judges to the Supreme Court. It's a duty that I take seriously, and one that I will fulfill in the weeks ahead.It's also one of the most important decisions that a President will make. Rulings handed down by the Supreme Court directly affect our economy, our security, our rights, and our daily lives.Needless to say, this isn't something I take lightly. It's a decision to which I devote considerable time, deep reflection, careful deliberation, and serious consultation with legal experts, members of both political parties, and people across the political spectrum. [SCOTUSblog]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.