Democrats on Roberts

There has been a lot of speculation that Sen. Leahy and others decided to vote to confirm Roberts in order to strengthen their ability to oppose the next nominee, assuming that he or she is "out of the mainstream." In other words, it is all part of some grand Democratic strategy. Think again.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.), the Senate Judiciary Committee's ranking Democrat, vented frustration with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) during a closed-door Democratic meeting last week before stunning colleagues and liberal activists by announcing his support for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts.

A day before his surprise declaration, Leahy expressed his irritation at being blindsided over Reid's position, finding out about it from the news media rather than from the minority leader, said lawmakers who attended the meeting. . .

The Reid-Leahy split has opened the door for Democratic defections.

The New York Times reported that Leahy's decision had "cleared the way for a possible free-for-all among Democrats still wrestling with their decisions."