Obama Says He'll Stick With Garland's Nomination Through End of Term

President Barack Obama told Fox News he is committed to Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination until the end of his term.

The interview with the president will air Sunday, reported The Hill. 

Obama noted Garland's qualification as chief judge of the District of Columbia's Circuit Court of Appeals and said he would not withdraw Garland to allow Hillary Clinton to make her own nomination.

The president also said he is concerned about the precedent that is being set by the Republicans' unwillingness to consider his nominee.

"What I think we can't have is a situation in which the Republican Senate simply says, because it's a Democratic president, we are not going to do our job, have hearings and have a vote," Obama said.

"It is almost impossible to expect that the Democrats, let's say a Republican president won, that the Democrats wouldn't say the exact same thing," Obama said.

Obama said the court cannot afford "partisan polarization" during a speech at the University of Chicago's School of Law, reported WGN-TV. 

Obama sent a handwritten thank-you note to Sen. Mark Kirk, who was the first Republican to meet with Garland, in which he credited Kirk for his "fair and responsible treatment" of Garland.

Republicans have started mulling over ideas for their own nominees, reported the Washington Post. Utah Sen. Mike Lee is at the top of some Republicans' lists.

A Washington Post report said Republicans might favor Lee as a nominee because of his age. At 44, "he could squeeze four or more decades out of a lifetime appointment."

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