In the wake of Justice Scalia’s death, and the ensuing turmoil over replacing him, I posited a compromise that has been dubbed “The West Wing theory“: President Obama persuades Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to resign. He then replaces Scalia with an old conservative—and RBG with a young liberal.
This, of course, mirrors an episode in the fifth season of “The West Wing.”
I brought it up again last night on CNN, and it seemed to be pretty well received. But who would be the old conservative? One of my co-panelists suggested Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, who turns 82 in a month.
This seems like a good deal for Democrats, but age isn’t always the best predictor of longevity. When asked if he would take the job (especially considering Democrats would be sitting around waiting for him to die), Hatch quipped: “[I]f that happened I’d live another 20 years just to spite them.” Whatever gets him up in the morning.