Alas, Senator Hatch, my old boss, seems very eager to repeat his awful mistake from 16 years ago, when he precleared President Clinton’s nomination of Ruth Bader Ginsburg before I or anyone else had the opportunity to do a serious review of her record. Are you really content with how that one turned out, Senator?
Bloomberg reports that Hatch is crowing that President Obama “told him he won’t nominate a ‘radical or an extremist’” to replace” Justice Souter. Well, gee, golly, if Obama said that, how could anyone not believe him?
What’s needed, now more than ever, is a vigorous public debate over the proper role of the courts. The confirmation process for a Supreme Court justice provides the best vehicle for that debate. But that debate won’t happen if Hatch and other Republicans preemptively roll over and play dead.
[Cross-posted on The Corner]