Harry Plamer II

I had a brief moment of hope when I saw that Bush had finally nominated a replacement for O'Connor on the Supreme Court. But the early blogospheric reaction is depressing. The emerging consensus on the left side seems to be that we can't let the court distract us from Rove/Plame. Maybe people will come to their senses -- after all, nothing energizes partisans like a good fight over abortion -- but if not, it's a telling indictment of the soul of modern liberalism. We're faced with a choice of two battles: On one hand, one that gives us the chance to define the contrast between the two parties' visions for the country, and which will shape jurisprudence on countless issues for decades. On the other hand, a battle that will at most bring down one or two bad apples from an otherwise unscathed conservative movement. And yet people seem to want to prioritize the latter.