Donnelly hopes Senate gets to vote on an Obama nominee

U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, a Democrat from Indiana, says he hopes the Senate will get the chance to vote on whoever President Barack Obama nominates to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

But Donnelly told The Elkhart Truth's editorial board on Monday he's not sure the Senate will get the chance.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the next president should nominate someone and he's been supported largely by his party's White House candidates.

Donnelly was critical of some Republicans calling to put off consideration of replacements until after a new president takes office early next year, saying that would be "a dereliction of duty."

Donnelly says it's the president's obligation to put forward a nominee. He also says he hopes the nominee is not someone extremely political.