President Obama on Wednesday nominated Merrick Garland, the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, to the Supreme Court.

Appearing alongside Garland in the Rose Garden, Obama said few of his presidential responsibilities "are more consequential than appointing a Supreme Court justice, particularly one to succeed Justice [Antonin] Scalia."

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"This is not a responsibility that I take lightly," the president said, adding he was setting aside "short-term expediency and narrow politics."

"Today, after completing this exhaustive process, I've made my decision," Obama continued. "I've selected a nominee who is widely recognized not only as one of America's sharpest legal minds but someone who brings to his work a spirit of decency, modesty, even-handedness and excellence."

"He will ultimately bring that same character to bear on the Supreme Court," Obama said, noting that he was "uniquely prepared to serve immediately." Obama grew animated when calling on Republicans to allow a hearing and vote on Garland. "It is tempting to make this confirmation process simply an extension of our divided politics, the squabbling that's going on in the news every day," he said. "But to go down that path would be wrong. It would be a betrayal of our best traditions and a betrayal of the vision of our founding documents. "This is precisely the time when we should play it straight." Obama noted that Sen. Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant HatchBottom line Bottom line Senate GOP divided over whether they'd fill Supreme Court vacancy MORE (R-Utah) was among those Republicans who voted to confirm Garland to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1997, adding that the Republican recently praised Garland as a "nice man" and in the past described him as a consensus nominee. Obama also sought to invoke past remarks from John Roberts, now the Supreme Court chief justice, praising the legal mind of Garland. Obama described him as a "serious man and exemplary judge" and said he would travel to Capitol Hill starting Thursday to "get a fair hearing ... and then an up-or-down vote." Obama brandished his ties to the judge, noting he was "born and raised in the land of Lincoln, in my hometown of Chicago and my home state of Illinois." Noting Garland was widely recognized in law enforcement circles and the greater legal community, Obama praised his "sterling record as a prosecutor," including at the Justice Department and overseeing the federal response to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

The selection of Garland fulfills Obama’s goal of putting forth a nominee who has support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Regardless, the nomination is sure to trigger a partisan battle in the Senate, where GOP leaders have pledged to block any Obama nominee to replace Scalia.