Trump should renominate Garland

There is one grand gesture President-elect Trump could make that would prove to everybody his intention to be a “president for all the people.” He should inform Mitch McConnell that he intends to renominate Merrick Garland for the vacant position on the Supreme Court. Such a move would likely motivate McConnell to hold the delayed hearings, allowing a fair up-or-down vote for nominee Garland. The Senate would still have every right to vote against him. But the process would then have been fair to everybody.

When President Obama nominated Garland, he went against what more liberal citizens may have wanted. Rather, he rose above politics to nominate a moderate centrist who had previously been approved by virtually every member of Congress from either side. If Trump really means what he says about treating all Americans with equal fairness, he would place the name of this moderate centrist justice before the Senate for confirmation. He will likely have future opportunities to turn the court in one direction or another because of the age of several sitting judges, if that is what he feels compelled to do at a later time.

James Schoepflin

Spokane