Jonathan: I’m not sure that the intensity of left-wing opposition to

Bush’s nominees is really going to depend much on who they are to

replace. For one thing, fundraising dynamics for left-wing groups will

require intense opposition even if Bush’s appointee wouldn’t make the

Court more conservative. For another, it would be irrational for the

Left to treat a conservative replacing Rehnquist as a non-event: It

means a Rehnquistian vote continues for several more decades.