Since 1790, only 120 Supreme Court Justices have served on America's apex court. It is little wonder then that when Justice Stephen Breyer, the second-longest serving member of the current Court, decided to step down this week, the Democrats were thrilled.
First, it was a pleasant distraction from the drumbeat of negative news plaguing the Left since December. Second, Breyer's retirement suddenly gave Democrats a chance to confirm a young, reliable left-wing jurist to serve for years more to come.
While there is no shortage of eminent intellectuals who would fit such a bill, the list has been sharply shortened to fit the demands of one man, Rep. James Clyburn, the Congressman from South Carolina: The eventual nominee has to be a woman and Black.
President Biden agreed to do just as much in his public remarks at the White House. "The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience, and integrity, and that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court."
