It’s a sentiment not often expressed around here, but it’s appropriate today. So far Obama has replaced one old liberal with a younger (wise Latina) liberal and is about to do it again (minus the wise Latina part). But if Justice Kennedy were to retire before 2012 he would throw the current Supreme Court balance completely over to the liberal bloc for years to come. I don’t fetishize the notions of “balance” or “centrism” on the court, but I value them greatly if the alternative is giving over the last branch of government to liberalism for years to come. So thanks very much Justice Kennedy.