I think President Obama has too many votes in the Senate to care very much about what folks on the right half of the political spectrum think about those on the short list. Still, I thought I would flag the apparent short-listers who are my favorites: Merrick Garland on the DC Circuit and Diane Wood on the Seventh Circuit. Both are moderate-liberals who are very smart, thoughtful, and principled; both are excellent judges. I would be delighted if either were nominated.

  In my next post, I'll say a bit more about why I think the likely nominee is Elena Kagan. I should have that up shortly.

  UPDATE: A few readers whose judgment I trust have written in to say that my judgment is off about Judge Wood: According to these readers, Judge Wood is actually a troublesome pick. I note their concern, and add that I have only relatively limited experience with Judge Wood's work and that more investigation would be needed.