Reid believes Obama to name replacement for Scalia in 'a little over' 3 weeks

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GOP softening position against Obama replacing Scalia?

Peter Johnson, Jr. reports

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that he believes President Obama will name a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in "a little over” three weeks.

The Senate Democratic leader said he spoke to Obama on Thursday, and that he takes a “very, very personal” interest in the choice of a possible successor to Scalia.

“We’re going to have someone in the next few weeks,” he told MSNBC. “I think it will be a little over three weeks.”

Reid added that he thought Senate Republicans were going to eventually hold hearings on a nominee, and a vote will eventually be taken on the Senate floor.

Several Republicans have recently said they would not support a filibuster to prevent a vote, as other members of their party have suggested.

The hard line in the sand drawn by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, came shortly after Scalia’s death. As majority leader, McConnell has discretion over whether to schedule a full Senate vote.

“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” he said in a statement Saturday. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”

This was followed by equally strong assertions during that night's GOP debate in South Carolina. Several candidates said they wanted the nomination to be delayed until the next president takes office, as others suggested that in the event of a nomination, Obama's nominee be thwarted in the Senate.