The always-thoughtful Gary Palmer of the Alabama Policy Institute does a great job advancing and explaining the same idea I first broached on these pages, namely that Senate Republicans really ought to consider blocking a final vote on Elena Kagan until September, after the senators have had a chance to hear from their constituents on the nomination during town meetings, etc., during the August recess. Really, there should be no debate about this: Debate is enhanced when, well, debate is enhanced. And debate is enhanced whent he public gets to weigh in. GOP senators who do NOT adopt this strategy aren’t worth the space they take up on the Senate floor.
