Biden: Obama named moderate judge to appeal to GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Joe Biden says it was President Barack Obama’s “responsibility” to name a moderate to the Supreme Court in an effort to appeal to the Republican-led Senate.

Now, he says it’s the Senate turn to do its part.

In a speech at Georgetown Law School, Biden said he and Obama took care to consult with the Senate in choosing Merrick Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Biden noted that Obama selected a judge with a reputation as a moderate – his duty in a divided government.

The vice president’s speech was in part an attempt to defend his record on judicial nominations. Republicans are holding up Biden’s past remarks on the subject to bolster their case for ignoring Garland’s nomination.