Thank you, Justice Souter

The retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter, announced officially today by President Obama, marks the departure of one of the High Court's most reliable liberal voices. Although he was appointed by Republican George H.W. Bush*, Souter dispayed a judicial independence typical of his New England roots, but those roots also gave him a taciturn, "homebody" character that made him a bit out of place in Washington.

Of course, this also gives the president his first chance to make a SCOTUS appointment, and I think this is where those of us who supported and voted for him truly will appreciate the fact that Barack Obama is in the White House. I haven't agreed with everything President Obama has done, nor was he even my choice in the primaries. But having him rather than Huggy Bear making this decision and perhaps more like it in the future gives me hope that critical issues like a woman's right to choose, same-sex marriage, and even election issues (are you listening, Norm Coleman?) will be shielded from Scalia-like judicial activism in the guise of so-called "strict constructionism." And while Justice Souter's replacement won't tip the current balance of power on the Court, choosing the right person will go a long way towards negating the long-term influence of the Roberts-Alito wing whose service is likely to last for many years.

So farewell, Justice Souter, and thank you. But before you leave, one request: do you think you could take Scalia or Thomas with you on your way out?

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* Interesting how often Republican SCOTUS appointees end up being liberal (see, e.g., longtime Chief Justice Earl Warren, an Eisenhower appointee); I can't think of anyone in recent years who went the opposite way ideologically.