The stakes for the country and the pressures on Supreme Court justices demand that the best people possible be put on the High Court. If that turns out to be nine Asian American men or nine Hispanic women, that is just a footnote to history.

But to start out looking for "diversity," as if you were decorating a Christmas tree with different colored baubles, is to abdicate one of the most solemn responsibilities of a president.

The endlessly repeated mantra of "diversity" is a triumph of the art of propaganda, for not a speck of hard evidence to support it has been asked for or given. Yet President George W. Bush cited "diversity" when he decided to make the aborted nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

Whatever the shortcomings of Democrats, they know what they are for -- and are willing to go all out to fight for it. Republicans often seem ambiguous about what they are for and seem to regard fighting as ungentlemanly.

Senate Democrats went all out to stop the nomination of Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court and to try to stop the nomination of Judge Clarence Thomas. These Democrats did not let either truth or decency cramp their style.

But Republicans voted overwhelmingly to confirm liberal-left nominees Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer when Bill Clinton nominated them. The Senate vote was 87 to 9 for Breyer and 96 to 3 for Ginsburg.

No need to savage either nominee, but they should have been voted against -- and the reasons for those votes explained to the public. Otherwise Democrats define what is a "mainstream" judge.

Republicans need to rethink their views on judges -- or perhaps to really think for the first time.