Confirming Roberts

The New Republic Online: Mister Roberts

I haven't had too much time to really pen anything relating to the Supreme Court confirmations after the death of William Rehnquist. One thing that I do believe ought to be said is that Bush's selection of Roberts to be Chief Justice is one that ought to be applauded ... by Democrats. The TNR column is as good a rundown as there is (Jeff Rosen wrote another good article two week prior).

So I'll second what the "liberal" Washington Post editorial board says: confirm him.

Remember, it was about a year ago when we all thought that the stakes in the election meant one thing and one thing alone regarding the Supreme Court: Chief Justice Antonin Scalia. Regardless of Judge Robert's differences from my own outlook, they're far fewer than those of Scalia's. A Roberts Court likely will quash any conservative dreams of a Scalia Court. I can live with that.

Yes, there's still another shoe to drop in terms of Bush appointing yet another judge ... and Priscella Owen's name has come up in a few different places. That's enough to worry anyone who truly cares about judicial activism. But we'll have to wait and see about the second nomination. For now, Judge Roberts deserves to be voted in.