As I noted last week, Governor Pawlenty was the only candidate in the Republican debate to highlight the importance of the president’s role in making Supreme Court appointments. A new TV ad by Pawlenty makes the same point: He has made five appointments to the court that have shifted the court in a judicially conservative direction, which bodes well for what he might do for the federal courts if he were elected president. 

Kudos to Governor Pawlenty for being the first out of the gate to stress the importance of judicial appointments. Let’s hope the other Republican hopefuls won’t be far behind.