Souteritis

Souteritis is spreading. We all knew the Democrats would oppose John Roberts as chief justice of the Supreme Court. Yesterday Harry Reid said he would vote No because he was unsure of Roberts's (Roe v. Wade) ideology. But Roberts has the distinction of being an equal opportunity offender.

Many conservatives, who initially trusted Bush to keep his promise to nominate someone in the "Scalia mold," have grown uneasy over Roberts's recent statement that Roe is "settled law." Heck, even Vermont liberal Patrick Leahy says he will vote for Roberts, so no wonder Bush's base is getting a case of judicial indigestion.

Aside from the war on terror, judicial nominations will define Bush's presidency (and the future of the nation) like nothing else. If he drops the ball on reshaping a court gone awry when he has a Senate majority, conservatives will never forgive him.