Bush's "Diversity" Misstep

President Bush apparently hinted today that his next Supreme Court nominee would be either a woman or a minority. When asked about the impending nomination, he stated, "I will pick a person who can do the job. But I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country."

W.'s been accused - almost always unfairly - of saying some dumb things in the past, but this is disgraceful.

There are few judges in the country who are known to adhere to the rule of law as consistently as Janice Rogers Brown, who was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in June. She also happens to be a black female.

The "diversity" the president should be concerned about when nominating judges to the SCOTUS is that which sets such nominees apart from liberal activists currently on the Court, like Justices Kennedy and Ginsberg, both of whom have, incredibly, acknowledged that international laws should apply to America. Considering that Janice Rogers Brown has been pilloried by liberal organizations such as the NAACP and People for the American Way, accused of being a "female Clarence Thomas," you know she'd be a perfect fit for the high court.

If President Bush is smart, he will nominate Judge Janice Rogers Brown immediately, and champion the true diversity this would bring to a court that has found in the Constitution rights to abortion on demand and sodomy while ignoring our explicitly stated right to bear arms; has legalized race-based discrimination in our universities; and has thumbed its proverbial nose at private property rights.

Diversity is one of America's strengths primarily because the vast majority of Americans believe in individual freedom and a capitalistic economic model that makes racial differences virtually irrelevant. Bush should know this. But alas, even if we're lucky enough to obtain the services of Judge Brown on the SCOTUS, she'll likely now be viewed simply for what she is, rather than who.