Herb Kohl: “we have all just heard the President will announce this evening a candidate to replace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day…”

“we have all just heard the President will announce this evening a candidate to replace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Then, the Senate will begin its constitutional duty to examine the nominee and give or withhold our consent. As the Senator from Connecticut said earlier on the floor, this is one of our most important jobs. Whomever we put on the Supreme Court will affect the lives of every American. Further, that person will receive a lifetime appointment, unchecked by elections or any other accountability to the people for whom we work. The confirmation process is our only chance to make sure whomever we put in this very powerful job embraces our values, respects our laws, and protects our Constitution. We need to make sure this nominee is well-qualified and approaches legal issues with an open mind and no partisan, political agenda. He or she must have a keen understanding of the law and the ability to explain it in ways the American people will understand. Second, we hope he or she is someone who will represent the views of people all across America, someone who will respect the Constitution. Third, a qualified nominee must understand that the law is more than an intellectual game and more than a mental exercise. The law is about real people, often facing the all-too-real challenges of raising families and earning a living. Justice, after all, may be blind, but it should not be deaf.…”