Justice for Clinton

Here's how I see President Obama filling the soon to be vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court:

After weighing the pros and cons of all the candidates, he will nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Bam!

Having been vetted for her role as secretary of state, Clinton should sail through the confirmation process easier than any other possible replacement being considered for Justice John Paul Stevens. The last thing Obama needs is another grueling, divisive battle. Though Clinton is not universally liked (by either party), she has already received the Senate's seal of approval. It shouldn't be hard to get it again considering that she has no judicial record to come back to haunt her. Not being a judge should not be seen as a negative. There was a time when placing non-judges on the Supreme Court was considered a plus. It's time we revisited that practice.

Placing Clinton on the Supreme Court would remove any possibility of a palace guard revolt to Obama's candidacy in 2012. In addition, though she is older than most of the other strong contenders, Clinton would bring religious and ethnic diversity to a court currently dominated by male Catholics.