Confirmation Hearings

You have to have an interest in this stuff, because it can be pretty dry, but if you are looking for a rundown of the confirmation hearings for John Roberts, you could do far worse than to peruse SCOTUSblog. It has been running a remarkably detailed account of the Senate confirmation hearings (Day 1; Day 2; Day 3; Day 4), with a minimum of commentary (I believe that the commentator is also reporting for NPR). Contrary to the headline snippets I have seen on CNN.com or other conventional news sites all day, the confirmation hearing involves a daunting array of legal issues, not just the headline-friendly abortion issue (which has actually accounted for a relatively limited portion of the questioning). Judge Roberts hasn't gone into the hearings cold, of course, but the sheer breadth of the range of issues is intimidating, and Roberts' ability to address them is impressive, and absolutely expected of someone seeking confirmation to the high court.

Even if a detailed discussion of the long term effects on privacy rights introduced by the Griswold case don't send a shiver up your spine, don't dismiss this proceeding entirely. This is only the 17th confirmation of a Chief Justice in the nation's history, and may be the last one of its kind for the next 20 or 30 years.