FEINSTEIN FLUNKS: John Roberts is "an extraordinary person" possessed of a "brilliant legal mind and a love and abiding respect for the law, and I think a sense of its scope and complexity as well," says Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who presented Roberts with what she considered a really important question.

I asked him about end of life decisions – clearly, decisions that are gut-wrenching, difficult, and extremely personal. Rather than talking to me as a son, a husband, a father – which I specifically requested that he do. He gave a very detached response: “Well, Senator, in that situation, obviously, you want to talk and take into account the views and heartfelt concerns of the loved one that you're trying to help in that situation, because you know how they are viewing this.”

Feinstein says she'll vote against Roberts because he gives "detached" responses. Apparently this means she's opposing him because he uses his "brilliant legal mind" to think like a judge. She went on to castigate Roberts for not making clear how he intends to be in touch with “the problems real people have out there." It's actually almost funny, that a United States senator asks us to think she believes a Supreme Court justice's job is to take public opinion. The only thing that disappoints me is that she didn't ask Roberts what kind of tree he would choose to be.