Steffen Johnson on Filibustering Judicial Nominees

Steffen Johnson makes a compelling case for ending the practice of filibustering judicial nominees in his op-ed, How Filibusters Drain Quality.  Here is a sample:

"Beyond the issue of who controls the presidency or the Senate, filibustering judges is plainly a bad idea. It enables the minority party to blackball any nominee with any record of distinction, since any nominee worth his or her salt will have offended one or another interest group in the course of prior government or academic service. This means the courts will be filled with undistinguished, inoffensive "moderates" rather than a diverse group of the most talented judges from both parties."