I hadn’t spoken up publicly on Trump’s possible choices to replace Ginsburg, even though nearly everyone expected it to be Judge Amy Coney Barrett. I was a little less sure.

But Saturday afternoon, he did nominate her.

Donald Trump Nominates Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court
The president made the announcement in the Rose Garden, thrilling conservative guests who were present and gave her a standing ovation when the president appeared with Barrett.

“She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect, sterling credentials and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution,” Trump said, while introducing Barrett.
Barrett thanked the president for the honor of serving on the court, should she be confirmed by the Senate.

For me, a key point in Barrett’s favor was her dissent in Kanter v. Barr:

[The federal and Wisconsin laws] would stand on solid footing if their categorical bans were tailored to serve the governments’ undeniably compelling interest in protecting the public from gun violence. But their dispossession of all felons—both violent and nonviolent—is unconstitutional as applied to Kanter.… Neither Wisconsin nor the United States has introduced data sufficient to show that disarming all nonviolent felons substantially advances its interest in keeping the public safe. Nor have they otherwise demonstrated that Kanter himself shows a proclivity for violence. Absent evidence that he either belongs to a dangerous category or bears individual markers of risk, permanently disqualifying Kanter from possessing a gun violates the Second Amendment.

But that was also why I was unsure Trump would pick her. Republicans love them some law ‘n order, and anything that makes more people “prohibited persons” is just peachy (think Fix NICS), and I think some Senators may be dubious of a nominee who is open to allowing non-violent felons to have rights.

Let’s hope I’m wrong about that, too. Barrett, age 48, could potentially defend Second Amendment rights for another four decades. In other areas, she’s a mixed bag of opinions, but in balance, probably the best choice we can get.

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