This morning, President Obama announced his choice to fill the key spot on the Supreme Court: Merrick Garland.

He's a chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. But Republican leaders in Congress say they won't bring the nomination to a hearing. They say it's a choice that should be left to the next President, after November's election.

"He does have a reputation for being fair, even-minded and is a centrist," said Allan Ides, professor at the Loyola Law School, noting that he also shares a background with other past nominees, including his service in the DC Circuit and his law background at Harvard.

"I feel like this was a very, very political choice. The President is putting somebody before the Senate that would be both palatable and maybe even favored by a number of Republicans," said Ides.