Which brings us back to Breyer, one of the three remaining liberals, and the lessons to be learned from recent history. Why should the life of the country, and the direction of the court, turn on when an elderly official retires, as an entirely free decision? At least in the case of elderly presidents — and, with the exception of youthful Obama, our presidents have been trending older too, almost as much as our justices — Americans made the choice, and their terms are brief.
