“American liberals have become addicted to the courtroom, relying on judges and lawyers rather than elected leaders and the ballot box, as the primary means of effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage to assisted suicide to the use of vouchers for private-school education.”
This month, we are witnessing one of the most important rituals of American democracy: the confirmation hearing of a United States Supreme Court nominee. This process has evolved over the past few decades, particularly since the failed nomination of Judge Bork. The contentiousness has reached embarrassing levels. Like most modern political practices, we continue to battle over nominees much as our forefathers did, but we do it in a way that shows little regard for the character and qualifications of the nominee.
