Columnist Charles Krauthammer ripped President Obama for suggesting his nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court Wednesday was about competence, saying that the gesture was purely about power over principle.
Senator Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and Senate Republicans have vowed to not take up a nomination until after the next president is in office . The White House and Senate Democrats have sharply criticized this decision, and Krauthammer blistered their logic during an appearance on the Fox News program Special Report.
"Well, McConnell is exactly right. When you had [press secretary] Josh Earnest on, he did a yeoman job trying to pretend it's about principle. This has nothing at all to do with principle. As we know, when the shoe is on the other foot, the Democrats refuse to confirm justices that were suggested by the GOP," Krauthammer said.
"Look, ever since the Supreme Court became a super legislature, with the abolition, the striking down of all the abortion laws, until forty years later striking down all the laws on gay marriage, it has been a political appointment. The idea that the president said today, ‘This isn't about ideology, it's about competence,’ is nonsense.
"All that was destroyed with the [Robert] Bork nomination, the most highly-competent, qualified nominee, probably ever, struck down entirely on ideology. And when Obama was in the Senate, he filibustered [Samuel] Alito, whom he admitted had all the qualifications.
"It is about ideology. It's about power. The Republicans have the power to say no. They should say no."