Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Republican presidential hopeful Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) was asked how he thought Senate Republicans should handle President Barack Obama’s pick to fill the vacancy currently on the Supreme Court.
Kasich said Senate Republicans should consider meeting with Garland and said he’d “think about” taking a look at Garland if he were elected president.
Partial transcript as follows:
DICKERSON: Let me ask you a presidential question about Merrick Garland put forward by the president for the Supreme Court. This could be a decision you have to handle.
What is your sense of — what is your feeling about the way that your Republican colleagues have responded to that nomination from the president?
KASICH: Well, look, I never thought the president should send it, because I knew something was going to happen. I mean, frankly, they probably ought to all sit down and meet with the guy.
And my feeling is, at the end of the day, whoever gets elected president should be in a position to be able to pick who they want. And the American people will decide by either voting for a Republican or Democrat what the makeup of the court is.
I just think that is a process that can unite us, rather than a process that right now continues to divide us.
DICKERSON: As someone who has talked about unity, would you take a look at Mr. Garland when you — if you were elected president?
KASICH: Well, you know, he received overwhelming support, I think even from Senator Hatch. So, of course we’d think about it.
The way we do it, John, is, we look at a person’s record. I want a conservative who is not going to make the law, but who will interpret the law, and somebody of high standing. I don’t care about their peccadillos 30 years ago.
But, yes, we have a process. I have appointed over 100 judges in Ohio, including a woman that, fortunately, I was able to appoint to the Ohio Supreme Court, and we have had good success with our selections.
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