Utah Senator Makes Litmus Test Explicit

At a debate with his Democratic challenger, Utah senator Mike Lee said Obama nominee Merrick Garland won’t get a hearing in a lame duck session no matter who wins the election. Lee, who has hired Justice Samuel Alito’s son to be his chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, “Republicans have been all over the map, all over the spectrum. Democrats vote in lock step. . . . That is how it works. I don’t think Merrick Garland would be any different. The only difference is his age.” He said that Garland would be no more moderate than anyone Hillary Clinton was likely to nominate.