Sen. Kit Bond's decision to cross party lines and support a Democrat's Supreme Court nomination is unusual but not unprecedented.
In 2005, 22 Democrats crossed party lines and voted for GOP Chief Justice nominee John Roberts, who won confirmation 78-22.
A year later, only four Democrats supported Samuel Alito for a seat on the bench. (Then-Sen. Barack Obama, by the way, was a no vote.)
The difference?
Roberts replaced William Rehnquist, generally considered a strong conservative, like Roberts. Replacing a conservative with a conservative would not fundamentally change the court's ideological makeup.
Alito, though, replaced Sandra O'Connor, who was considered much more moderate than Alito. The confirmation vote was closer because Alito was more likely to alter the court's balance of power.
The conclusion? Republicans are crossing over because Sonia Sotomayor is replacing David Souter, maintaining, not changing, the court's makeup.
If President Obama is called upon to replace a court conservative, the politics -- and votes, including, perhaps, Kit Bond's -- will almost certainly change.
Discuss.
