Grassley says he’ll take court nomination ‘a step at a time’

MARENGO — Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said Tuesday he would 'take it a step at a time' in his approach to replacing Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia — but left his intentions far from clear.

Still, the comments carried a slightly softer tone than did earlier rhetoric from Republicans saying a nominee shouldn't be put forth in an election year and shouldn't be confirmed until there is a new president.

'I will take it a step at time,' Grassley said. 'The president hasn't nominated anyone yet.'

President Barack Obama said he intends to nominate a successor to Scalia, who died Saturday at age 79, sometime after the Senate returns to work Monday.

Iowa's senior senator would play a key role in a confirmation process as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which holds hearings on Supreme Court nominees and gives the full Senate an up or down recommendation, or passes forward the candidate with no recommendation.

The comments Grassley made Tuesday struck a different note than what he stated on Saturday shortly after learning of Scalia's death.

'The fact of the matter is that it's been standard practice over the last nearly 80 years that Supreme Court nominees are not nominated and confirmed during a presidential election year,' Grassley said at the time. 'Given the huge divide in the country, and the fact that this president, above all others, has made no bones about his goal to use the courts to circumvent Congress and push through his own agenda, it only makes sense that we defer to the American people who will elect a new president to select the next Supreme Court justice.'

The audience and then reporters peppered Grassley with questions here in Marengo, which hosted one of several town hall meetings Tuesday with Grassley.

But he wouldn't be pinned down on whether he'd hold a confirmation hearing or block a nominee.

Grassley called a headline posted online earlier in the day that he 'might' hold a hearing 'not entirely accurate.' But approached from a different angle, he wouldn't say he'd reject a hearing.

'I think I'm pretty clear this should carry over to the next election, but on the other hand I think take it a step at a time. Maybe the president will agree with us eventually if he gets the chance to talk to us. I'll give him my judgment of why I think he should wait.'

The replacement of Scalia has turned sharply partisan.

Grassley faced accusations of being inconsistent for calling to wait under a Democratic president, but supporting Republican President Ronald Reagan's appointment of Anthony Kennedy in the 1988 election year.

'It's an entirely different situation,' Grassley said.

He said Kennedy was confirmed in 1988 but nominated in 1987. Also, Kennedy's nomination came after two previous candidates had not been confirmed earlier. The nomination was to replace Lewis Powell Jr., who retired.

Some did not leave the town hall with a clear understanding of just where Grassley stood.

'It was clear as mud,' said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa, part of the Why Courts Matter Iowa coalition that followed Grassley to his different stops Tuesday.

The group was calling on Grassley to 'do his job' and 'follow the Constitution' by holding hearings.

'He didn't give a clear answer on much of anything,' Sinovic said. 'He didn't say whether he would hold a hearing, under what condition he'd hold a hearing, if there'd be a vote ... I don't really know what he said today. He tried to be very vague and play political games with this nomination process.'

Nancy Beyer, 74, who lives 8 miles outside of Marengo, was among about 50 people overflowing the Marengo library to speak with Grassley. Beyer said she likes his approach.

'It doesn't mean he will stall the process,' she said. 'He is willing to take it one step at a time. That is the common sense Iowa way.'