It may be a political process that leads to the nomination of a judge. And a president may think, ah, I have got someone who will always agree with me. That's what Teddy Roosevelt thought when he appointed Oliver Wendell Holmes. He got him nominated.
Breyer discusses the political nature of judicial nominations and how presidents may misjudge their nominees.
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Did you -- did I like this Dobbs decision? Of course, I didn't. Of course, I didn't. Was I happy about it? Not for an instant? Did I do everything I could to persuade people? Of course, of course.
I know that my role as a judge is a limited one, but the Constitution empowers me only to decide cases and controversies that are properly presented.
I commit to you that I will work productively to support and defend the Constitution and this grand experiment of American democracy that has endured of these past 246 years.