Sonia Sotomayor

Obama's choice is clever: dare the Republicans to reject the first Latino nominee, if you don't count Cardozo. By doing so, they'll be spending political capital. Then, Obama will appoint a more liberal nominee, and the Republicans won't have as much left to fight it.

Also clever on the Catholic front. Fresh on the heels of dividing Catholics over Notre Dame, he has chosen a person who is as Catholic in Name Only. If Republicans opppose the sixth Catholic on the bench, then when the next one isn't Catholic, Obama can say, Well, I tried. Now you're getting an athiest.