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Will Supreme Court define Obama's legacy?

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    Shannon Bream reports from Washington

  • Duration 2:42
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For -- president one of the most lasting elements of his legacy.

Is his effect on the Supreme Court so far President Obama has put two justices on the High Court.

Both women both considered progressives left of center tonight correspondent Shannon -- takes a look at what's ahead.

In the event that there's a vacancy I think the president is going to come under.

Immense political pressure to swing for the fences.

President Obama after some initial GOP resistance successfully placed two nominees on the nation's highest court during his first term.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

But he won't have to answer to voters again and many court watchers believe he'll be under pressure to go with an even more progressive pick should -- get another opportunity I think you're gonna hear a lot of his base a lot of the activist groups.

Pushing him hard to make what they would he -- a home run appointment the court is currently viewed as ideologically split with justice Anthony Kennedy often serving as the swing vote in key cases.

With four justices now well into their seventies including Ruth Bader Ginsburg who will be eighty in March.

It is likely the president will have additional opportunities to shape the court but I'll have to go through the senate to do that.

-- Democrats with the help of two independents have a ten -- advantage 55 to 45 it would take only forty votes to filibuster a nominee.

It should be an extraordinary step to filibuster.

A Supreme Court nominee really had nominee at any court and whether there are forty votes to do that for a more progressive nominee I think is.

Remains to be seen if it makes it crazy today then -- reserved unto myself the ability to filibuster in extraordinary circumstance.

It's something GOP senator Lindsey Graham has done before but not to either president Obama's Supreme Court -- He says -- thing glaring extremism Republicans have a duty to defer to the president.

You can expect to lose the election and still get control who who who goes on that the court you can push back -- it's an extreme pick.

But at the end of the day elections have consequences.

Consequences that last far beyond just one or 24 year terms I think -- any president should think about that.

The mark that he is making on the judiciary because it really is one of the most.

Fundamental -- you leave the justices you were a point the lower court judges are going to sit.

For decades longer than you served as president.

-- none of the justices has publicly hinted at leaving the bench the retirement watch always heats up near the end of the term which comes in June.

And with the second Obama term now locked and some of the older more liberal justices may feel more comfortable considering stepping down.

Brett -- thank you.

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