The Republican National Committee released a new video Thursday criticizing Democrats for hypocrisy in demanding hearings for President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Chief Judge Merrick Garland.
The video showed clips of several prominent Democrats arguing that hearings should not be held for presidential nominees. At the time all of the quotes were said, a Republican president was in the White House.
"President [George H.W.] Bush should consider following the practice of a majority of his predecessors and not, and not name a nominee until after the November election is completed," then-Sen. Joe Biden said in 1992.
"I believe this is one of the most important roles that the Senate plays. This, after all, is in the Constitution. We are asked to give advice and consent or to deny advice and consent," then-Sen. Hillary Clinton said in 2005.
"Duties of a United States Senator set forth in the Constitution of the United States, nowhere in that document does it say the Senate has a duty to give presidential nominees a vote," then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said in 2005.
"Let me say this, we should reverse the presumption of confirmation," Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), who is expected to succeed Reid in 2017 as the Senate Democratic leader, said in 2007.
As Democrats have criticized Republicans for not giving Garland hearings, Republicans have taken these quotes from Democrats as evidence that they even believe the majority party does not have to give a rival president's nominees confirmation hearings and votes.