After last year's battle over the confirmation of the Supreme Court's first Latina justice, are groups on both sides of the debate now warming to a white male from Harvard Law School?

Left- and right-leaning experts both have positive things to say about Merrick Garland, a 57-year-old D.C. appellate court judge. They also say he would be a politically easy choice for President Obama.

Doug Kendall, president of the progressive Constitutional Accountability Center, said Garland "deserves his place on the Obama shortlist," describing him as "a brilliant judge and an eloquent spokesperson who would provide a decisive victory at a critical time for President Obama." He didn't go so far to endorse him as a nominee though.

Carrie Severino, chief counsel for the right-wing Judicial Crisis Network, said the time frame to select and confirm a nominee is shorter than it could have been given the fact that Justice John Paul Stevens will retire at the end of the term instead of once the next justice is confirmed. And because of that, Severino said, "I would hope Merrick Garland would be first on his list or else it will be a very ugly summer."

Ed Whelan, president of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, said Garland "is the best nominee Republicans can hope for. I think his selection would be a significant step toward resolving the judicial wars."