Letter: A new wrinkle in Supreme Court nominations

When presidents learn there is or will be a vacancy on the Supreme Court, they gather together the members of their staff and instruct them to find a candidate for him to nominate for the post.

The president tells the country he is seeking the most qualified jurist. But his staff knows the reality of Washington politics. His staff knows the president wants: a reliable liberal (or conservative, depending on the president) vote on the court; someone with no skeletons in the closet; and someone who is qualified.

When Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement, President Biden gathered together the members of his staff and instructed them to find him someone to nominate who is: black; female; a reliable "liberal" vote on the court; who has no skeletons in her closet; and who is qualified.

They came up with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. From all appearances - putting aside the gushing over the "historic" nature of her nomination, seeing how she holds up under GOP pressure, watching her grace as Democratic senators fall all over themselves to laud her - she seems qualified for the job.

She is certainly a decent human being. It's just a crying shame that her qualifications were the least of Biden's considerations when he nominated her.

Don Frost

Lake Summerset