One of my favorite terms criticizing the Democratic left is the sobriquet "unhinged." Thus when Howard Dean, head of the DNC, or Ted Kennedy, or Patrick Leahy of Vermont speak out on such issues as judicial nominations, the progress of the Iraq War, or the state of the Republican Party being "mostly white Christians," they are said to be "unhinged" from reality. Today's Democrat Party is smoking what Moveon.org is passing around. The result is their feet rarely touch the ground.

Presumably the word "unhinged" refers to doors, the purpose of which is to both open and close. When the door falls off or fails in its basic purpose, it ceases to function. It begs to find hinges and rediscover its purpose, or be relegated to the scrap heap. So it is with minds. They must be open to evidence, arguments and debate based on principle, not just raw political power. Someone once said, "the purpose of an open mind is to close it on something hard." The "unhinged" personality has ceased to engage with the evidence and therefore cannot either speak or act with any consistency or authority. This is why Mssrs. Dean, Kennedy and Leahy are failing to win the day.

I write these words from the Maine coast in the heart of "the land of liberty gone liberal." A couple of years ago, the Maine state legislature thought it a good thing to double property taxes to pay for its spendthrift ways, instead of lowering taxes to attract business and individuals to the state (unhinged idea #1). Maine is where environmentalism (the "unhinged" variety) is the state religion. A few years back the state initiated fishing restrictions which inadvertently killed too many baby lobsters (Oops!) (Unhinged idea #2). The local Episcopal Diocese is attempting to raise 3 Million dollars in a brochure that gives no vision for what the church stands for. Perhaps they are afraid people will discover that it stands for revisionist Christianity, post-modern, gender-feminist piety, the Democrat Party at prayer (Unhinged idea #3).

 All of this brings me to speak about a man who apparently has a hinge, John G. Roberts, President Bush's nominee for the Supreme Court. A Maine attorney, Bill Kayatta, who attended Harvard Law with Roberts, describes him thusly in today's Portland Press Herald : "I think of John as a conservative in the old-fashioned sense of the word. Not a cableTV conservative, but someone who has respect for institutions. Both the far left and the far right are going to be a little bit uncomfortable with this." The Wall Street Journal suggested today that in the matter of original intent," (Roberts) record and personal history suggest that he leans in the same direction (as originalists)." The real debate on Roberts, as the Journal points out, is not whether Roberts is a conservative, but whether he in will fall in with the Scalia ideological conservatives or the pragmatic Rehnquist conservatives? Either way, Judge Roberts appears to be a man with sturdy hinges, ready to hear arguments with an open mind, but ready also to close it on Constitutional principles. At this early stage, the nomination looks promising for conservatives, but more importantly, for the country.

 As for the unhinged political and cultural left, they are resigned to the old adage: "Same tune, next verse." The tired old tune, led by NARAL, NOW and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, will ring from Senate Judiciary Democrats come September. But they are unlikely to remove Judge Roberts from his well-oiled but sturdy hinges.

  John Pendleton