Should judges' positions on certain wedge issues matter when they're nominated?

[Bo]

By wedge issues, I mean abortion, gay marriage, affirmative action, etc. Should those issues be a factor in Congress deciding whether to confirm judges to the Supreme Court or some other court or not?

I say No. I think that judges should be confirmed solely based on their qualifications and personal backgrounds (no rape allegations, etc.) and nothing else. For instance, even though I am pro-life, I would support confirming a pro-choice justice if they were qualified for the position and did not have anything controversial in their background.

[John Dibble]

No, they should be picked for their ability to make their legal decisions as objectively as they can.

[Torie]

Sure, the Court has become so ideological and polarized, that the days when one focuses solely on intellectual abilities to parse the law, and the integrity, of a nominee, are long gone. Dorothy is never going to go back to Kansas on this one.