Republicans Dig in on Blocking Obama's Court Nominee

President Barack Obama says the Supreme Court needs to operate with a full contingent of nine justices, while signaling his nominee would come soon.

Republicans are standing firm in opposition to any election-year confirmation of a Democratic president's pick, with one GOP senator conceding it would be different if Obama were a conservative.

Obama did not say on Thursday when exactly he would reveal his candidate, whom Senate Republicans have vowed to ignore.

Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin says the Senate might consider filling a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court if the president were a Republican.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley says Democrats' efforts to pressure him to change his mind will be futile. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has been criticizing Grassley in daily speeches.