G.O.P. Weighs Political Price of Court Fight
By PETER BAKER and CARL HULSE
NYT
WASHINGTON — The retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens presents a test for Republicans as much as it does for President Obama as they weigh how much they want to wage a high-profile battle over ideological issues in the months before crucial midterm elections.
In the aftermath of the polarized health care debate, some Republican leaders said they were reluctant to give Democrats further ammunition to portray them as knee-jerk obstructionists. But they also want to harness the populist anger at Mr. Obama’s policies and are wary of alienating their base when they need it most.
As they balance these competing imperatives, Republicans said they planned to move deliberately at first and avoid declarations that could box them in. With Democrats’ poll numbers down, Republicans said they did not necessarily want a fight for the sake of a fight, and they left open the possibility that Mr. Obama might pick someone they could largely support.
“We need to do our due diligence, and we need to probably bend over backwards both in appearance and in reality to give the nominee a fair process,” said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a member of the Judiciary Committee and chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
(More here.)
NYT
WASHINGTON — The retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens presents a test for Republicans as much as it does for President Obama as they weigh how much they want to wage a high-profile battle over ideological issues in the months before crucial midterm elections.
In the aftermath of the polarized health care debate, some Republican leaders said they were reluctant to give Democrats further ammunition to portray them as knee-jerk obstructionists. But they also want to harness the populist anger at Mr. Obama’s policies and are wary of alienating their base when they need it most.
As they balance these competing imperatives, Republicans said they planned to move deliberately at first and avoid declarations that could box them in. With Democrats’ poll numbers down, Republicans said they did not necessarily want a fight for the sake of a fight, and they left open the possibility that Mr. Obama might pick someone they could largely support.
“We need to do our due diligence, and we need to probably bend over backwards both in appearance and in reality to give the nominee a fair process,” said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a member of the Judiciary Committee and chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
(More here.)
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