Rallies urge GOP senators to back Supreme Court vote

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An effort by liberal groups to pressure Republicans to allow Senate consideration of President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee got off to a modest start Monday as small groups of demonstrators rallied outside lawmakers' offices around the country.

Five days after Obama tabbed federal appeals court Judge Merrick Garland for the vacant seat, about 25 people appeared outside the Columbus, Ohio, office of GOP Sen. Rob Portman, who is backing Republican leaders' insistence on awaiting the pick of whoever is elected president in November.

With several recent polls showing majorities of the public want the Senate to consider Obama's selection, Democrats say they believe Republicans will eventually reverse themselves or face enough election defeats in November to lose control of the chamber.

The group also planned to run versions of the ad on TV in Iowa and New Hampshire — backing Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who is refusing to hold hearings on Garland, and Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is running for re-election.

[...] it was airing ads in the home states of Democratic Sens.

On the Democratic side, the Senate Majority PAC was spending over $600,000 for an ad in New Hampshire linking Ayotte to GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump's opposition to an Obama nominee.

Cornyn asked Saturday for $5 contributions, emailing, "We can't allow President Obama to sneak his Supreme Court nominee past the American people!" No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Richard Durbin sent one the same day saying Republicans must act "in the name of fairness and our Constitution."