The solution to the Senate problem

David Brooks argues that the solution to the judiciary kerfuffle in the Senate is for party leaders to cut backroom deals. That's probably not bad advice. The solution to the impasse is actually very simple, and Brooks comes very close (but not quite all the way there) to saying it clearly: the Republicans should stick to nominating moderates to the bench. This is what Brooks means when he says, "The [rightwing] activists get up every morning hoping to change the judiciary, dreaming of total victory. Of course they're willing to sacrifice everything else for that cause. But senators are supposed to know that serving the interest groups is not the same as serving the people: it is serving a passionate but unrepresentative minority of the people. At some point, leaders are supposed to stand up to maximalists, even the ones they mostly agree with." Amen to that, brother.