Midday Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed John Roberts to be the 17th Chief Justice of the United States.

It’s hard to imagine a more qualified, brilliant and articulate person who could occupy the Supreme Court’s center seat. And if his record is any indication, it seems likely that Chief Justice Roberts will prove himself one of the nation’s great jurists. With his personal magnetism and extraordinary persuasive skill, the nation should also benefit from a more united, coherent High Court. Most important, during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearings, the Chief Justice demonstrated his respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.

With Chief Justice Roberts now occupying his new chambers, attention has turned to replacing retiring Justice O’Connor on the High Court. And aside from revealing the Chief Justice’s brilliance, the recently completed confirmation process shined a spotlight on the Left and their Democratic puppets in the U.S. Senate.

In the end, nearly half of Senate Democrats voted against the Chief Justice’s confirmation. Given his superb qualifications and obvious intellect, it’s apparent that there is simply no one that President Bush could nominate that these partisans would ever vote to confirm. And it’s unfortunate that so many Democrats in the U.S. Senate have essentially handed their votes over to special-interest puppet masters on the Left.

At the same time, a number of Democrats did the right thing and cast their votes in favor of the Chief Justice’s confirmation. In doing so, they demonstrated the folly of their past obstruction of judicial confirmations based on ideology. Indeed, the number of Democrats voting “aye” shows that a solid judicial conservative like the Chief Justice can and should win confirmation. It also shows that Democratic efforts to treat nominees like political candidates are doomed to fail.

That doesn’t mean the Left won’t try. Too many ultra-liberal organizations have already declared that the President’s next nominee must be filibustered no matter what. Even DNC Chairman Howard Dean recently called for a “fight to the death” to prevent confirmation of the President’s next selection to the High Court and urged Democrats in the Senate to filibuster. And this was before the President had announced his choice.

The absurdity of their attitude is apparent. And it exposes the total lack of anything but partisanship that motivates the Left’s blind commitment to obstruction.

With the emptiness of their crusade revealed, no American can take anything they say seriously. Indeed, it ought to be obvious that anything and everything that emanates from the Left is spewed forth only to justify their obstruction.

So as the next Supreme Court confirmation fight begins, just remember: if their lips are moving, they’re obstructing.