With at least one vacancy on the high court quite possible this summer, "Democrats ... are divided over whether President Barack Obama should appoint a prominent liberal voice while their party still commands a large Senate majority, or go with someone less likely to stoke Republican opposition," reports Jess Bravin in the WSJ.

Needless to say, nominating someone with a history of bending over backwards to let violent criminals off with less than they deserve, or off altogether, would be a substantial political liability in a year where control change in Congress is a possibility. On the latter point, John Fund had this article in Friday's WSJ.