From ignorant slut to magnificent bastard in less than three days! The promotion comes entirely by accident.

Oddly, it seems that Arlen Specter’s party switch may actually make it easier for Republicans to block any radical that President Obama nominates to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. By a quirk of senate procedure, as Professor Jacobson explains, Specter would have had more power as a member of the minority party to stick the knife in the Republicans’ back and move a lefty nominee out of committee to a floor vote. Now that he is a majority party member, his power to do so is diluted.

At first, that revelation was rather heartening. As you may know, I have no qualms about Republicans doing everything in their power to defeat a truly radical nominee (and you know that’s exactly what we’re going to get). But given the general lack of balls among Senate Republicans, I’m equally certain they won’t try very hard, so my excitement over Professor Jacobson’s post didn’t last long. As several of the commenters at his post note, someone else will cave.

H/T: The Anchoress, who also offers up this gem regarding the fact the first SCOTUS retirement in Obama’s presidency is Souter::

I am frankly surprised. I was under the impression that John Paul Stevens had been sucking formaldehyde every day in an effort to outlast President Bush.

“Sucking formaldehyde.”  What a picture!