But movement Republicans want to see the court shift in the direction represented by Scalia and Thomas. If I had to guess, the next appointment would not be an extremist. But I would never have guessed Janice Brown.

I don't think any new member of the court will expect the court to follow his or her lead. We have nine separate law offices headed by strong-willed people.

When some Republicans said that ideology didn't matter, they really meant that Democrats and liberals should shut up. Now that the president has chosen someone whose ideology is uncertain, many conservatives are raising questions.

Catholicism is a wide tent in terms of political and legal positions. We could have nine Catholics on the Supreme Court and a great deal of diversity toward the law.

The Court failed to identify a provision of the (Constitution) that the Connecticut law violated. Instead it spoke vaguely of the 'penumbras' and 'emanations' of the Bill of Rights, in language that continues to turn the stomach of fundamentalists (and many others), ... Radicals in Robes.

On some issues, Republicans and Democrats disagree so sharply that compromise is nearly impossible. Republicans are not going to support a cap-and-trade program to limit greenhouse gases, and Democrats won't support a 1,000-mile wall on the border with Mexico.