Stephen L. Carter tells what's wrong with our confirmation process, explains how it got that way, and suggests what we can do to fix it. Using the most recent confirmation battles as examples, Carter argues that our confirmation process will continue to be bloody until we develop a more balanced attitude toward public service and the Supreme Court by coming to recognize that human beings have flaws, commit sins, and can be redeemed.
The author of the provocative books The Culture of Disbelief and Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby sheds new light on the process that has manufactured such public fiascoes as the Clarence Thomas hearings and the Lani Guinier travesty. "A lesson in the perils of the reforming spirit".-- Commentary.