White House says Obama ‘regrets’ filibuster against Alito nomination in 2006
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/17/white-house-says-obama-regrets-filibuster-against-/ The White House said Wednesday that President Obama “regrets” his filibuster against Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito in 2006, but insisted the situation was different than Republicans’ current vow to block any nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
“These are two different things,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest. “The president’s objections to then-President Bush’s nominee were based in substance.”
In 2006, then-Sen. Obama and 23 other Democrats — including Hillary Clinton — tried to filibuster Justice Alito’s nomination. He was confirmed for the high court anyway.
The president’s spokesman said Democrats’ opposition to Justice Alito was different from Republicans’ vow to block a nominee this year because Mr. Obama hasn’t chosen a candidate yet.
Mr. Earnest said Mr. Obama “regrets the vote that he made” and believes he “should have followed his own advice” to make a substantive argument against the Alito nomination.
“What the president regrets is that Senate Democrats didn’t focus more on making a public case” against Justice Alito’s qualifications, Mr. Earnest said.
Mr. Obama said Tuesday that both parties share blame for politicizing judicial nominations.
