Calgary Obama Nominates Merrick Garland To The Supreme Court | HuffPost Latest News - Action.News ABC Action News WestNet-HD Weather Traffic

Settling for a centrist candidate with nearly two decades of judicial experience, President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Merrick Garland, a federal appeals judge in Washington, D.C., to the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

"I said I would take this process seriously, and I did," Obama said while announcing his choice from the Rose Garden at the White House, adding: "The one name that has come up repeatedly -- from Republicans and Democrats alike -- is Merrick Garland."

Garland was visibly emotional when Obama gave him the microphone.

"This is the greatest honor of my life, other than Lynn agreeing to marry me more than 20 years ago," Garland said, his voice breaking as he motioned to his wife in the audience. "For me there could be no higher service than serving as a member of the United States Supreme Court."

If confirmed, Garland, 63, wouldn't bring diversity to the court as much a lengthy rsum in public service, including stints in the Department of Justice and on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where he has served since 1997 and is now the chief judge.

An eventual appointment for Garland is also less likely to mark a liberal shift in the Supreme Court. If anything, his contributions -- given his age and his moderate record so far -- are likely to be more pragmatic than path-marking for some of the country's most hotly contested legal issues, such as voting rights, gun control and the scope of presidential powers.

For those very reasons, Garland is the least controversial -- and likely the most confirmable -- of all the candidates who were reportedly considered for the vacancy. It is possible Obama chose him for the post to defuse the confirmation fight that Senate Republicans have promised since the moment Scalia died.

In his remarks, Obama pointed to the coming gridlock while highlighting the consequences for the court.

"Our Supreme Court really is unique. It's supposed to be above politics. It has to be. And it should stay that way," he said. "To suggest that someone as qualified and respected as Merrick Garland doesn't even deserve a hearing ... would be unprecedented."

Obama seriously considered Garland in 2010 for the opening created by the retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens. He was ultimately passed over for Elena Kagan, then the president's top lawyer before the Supreme Court. He was also considered in 2009, when Justice Sonia Sotomayor replaced the retired David Souter.

Garland has some pluses that could serve him well in a polarized environment, including knowing Chief Justice John Roberts -- the two clerked for famed New York judge Henry Friendly and participated in cases together on the D.C. Circuit, when Roberts served there between 2003 and 2005.

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