Refusing even to consider President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to fill Judge Scalia’s vacancy on the Supreme Court amounts to more than political obstructionism. It is, quite literally, a gross dereliction of duty. No less than the President, all senators—McConnell and Grassley included—have taken a pledge to uphold the Constitution of the United States. That constitution obligates the Senate to advise the President on his nominees and, ultimately, consent to one. In the context, “advise” means to hold hearings; “consent” means to vote on the candidate who has been heard. The Constitution does not mandate that every nominee be approved—only that some nominee eventually be approved. There would be no dereliction of duty in holding hearings on Judge Garland and then voting him down. But to refuse to hold hearings on any nominee whatsoever, no matter who it is, until the President is out of office—the President of the United States, whose constitutional responsibility it is to expeditiously replace vacancies on the highest court in the land? That is a violation of their oath of office, and to me suggests grounds for impeachment.