Actually Senator, You Seem to Agree Judge Garland is Qualified

Pat Toomey is an endangered Republican Senator. He will face a tough re-election this Fall. He represents Pennsylvania, which President Obama won twice, and every Democrat has carried since 1988. Of course, Senator Toomey wants people to think he's a reasonable Republican, not someone like Ted Cruz or Donald Trump. In order to do that, and still not anger his Republican Party bosses, he does things like this:

Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully consider his nomination... #SCOTUS

— Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) March 16, 2016

Sounds reasonable, right? It's not. President Obama is the legally elected President. The people of Pennsylvania, Toomey's constituents, elected President Obama handily, twice. The people have spoken. Toomey is saying here that he does not dispute the qualifications of this nominee, Merrick Garland, to be a member of the Supreme Court. That is not to say he will vote for him, but he respects the nominee's bona fides.

If the nominee is qualified, and the President who appointed him is on solid legal ground to make the appointment, then the nominee deserves a hearing and a vote. Senator Toomey is welcome to vote no on that nomination if he would like, and we can debate that vote in the Fall election, but it's his job to vote. Senator Toomey should stop trying to de-legitimize the President, and do his job.