Senator Patrick Leahy's "Unofficial" Offer

Senator Leahy, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, gave a speech on the Senate floor yesterday on the nomination of Sam Alito for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The Senator's official web site included the following sentence as part of his speech:

But this nomination does not add to the diversity of the Supreme Court or make it more reflective of America.

What he actually said was:

This nomination does not add to the diversity of the Supreme Court any more than I add to the diversity of the Senate.

The President should take this opportunity to "reach across the aisle." The President should attempt to "be a uniter, not a divider" by making a deal with Senator Leahy. The President could offer to withdraw Alito from consideration and replace him with an African-American woman--Janice Rogers Brown--if Leahy resigns. Vermont's Republican Governor, Jim Douglas, would name Senator Leahy's replacement.