missing persons dept. Ted Kennedy treated the Atlanta crowd to his rousing “Where was George?” refrain on the 19th anniversary of the night when the question was “Where is Teddy?”
In his acceptance speech Michael Dukakis promised “nominees to the federal bench . . . who understand the Constitution of the United States.” If the Bork fight is any indication, that means nominees who understand the Constitution as the Kennedys, Bidens, and Specters of the world understand it (anything else would be “outside the mainstream,” don’t you know). The point is not a light one. Three liberal Justices— Marshall, Brennan, and Blackmun—have been hanging on by their fingernails, deferring retirement until Reagan should be gone. A fourth, not a dogmatic liberal —White—is also long in the tooth. The question of who would fill those vacancies may well be the determining factor in the minds of conservatives who have not yet made their peace with George Bush. As a friend remarked the other day: Bush may not deserve to be President; but we don’t deserve to be ruled by a Dukakis Court.
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