What a Country

The Sotomayor confirmation hearings have been covered from every possible angle: what the D's like about her, what the R's don't like about her, the firefighter's case, the fact that she would be the first Latina named to the nation's highest court. I have nothing to add on these and other fronts; simply to say, "What a country."

Recall what the judicial branch is for: it plays a vital part in the "checks and balances" system of our federal government. And, in light of that precious three-part system, consider the civil, serious, and intense nature of her vetting process. This is someone who may be in a position of great power for three or more decades, and, accordingly, she is being appropriately tested.

My take is that she will emerge largely intact, be confirmed by a high margin, and go on to serve a distinguished and level-headed career on the Supreme Court, commensurate with the hard working and fair-headed approach she has taken all of her professional life. And if any or all of that ends up happening, one may cheer her success on behalf of her ethnicity and upbringing, or Obama for making a good first pick, or the Democrats for getting "their" candidate through. As for me, I'll be cheering yet another shining example of the finest democratic system the world has ever seen.