Hatch jokes: Dems would be ‘praying for me to die’ if nominated for SCOTUS

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is joking about being nominated to the Supreme Court, saying his Democratic colleagues would be “praying for me to die.”

“I’d hate to have all my Democrat friends praying for me to die so that they could take over again,” Hatch, who turns 82 in March, told a local Utah radio station. “In any event I would spite them by living for at least 20 more years and doing the work on the Court.” 

{mosads}Hatch’s comments come after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) floated the long-serving senator as an example of a “consensus choice” to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, 79, who was found dead Saturday. 

The Utah Republican added that Graham wasn’t making a “serious suggestion… but it was fun to hear.” 

Hatch’s comments come as both sides are gearing up for a looming battle over the Supreme Court as President Obama prepares to nominate his third justice ahead of the 2016 election. 

Republicans are sending early signals that they are not interested in taking up any Obama nominee, instead arguing that the next president should be allowed to fill Scalia’s seat.

They hope that Republicans will win the White House, allowing them to name a conservative justice and maintain a 5-4 edge on the court, following the death of Scalia, widely considered a conservative pillar.

Hatch added Tuesday that Obama has “no real understanding of what Scalia stood for.” 

“I can’t think of a Democrat this president would support who would be in the category of somebody who would satisfy both sides,” he added. 

Both Hatch and Graham have endorsed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the Republican presidential primary race.