Barone is wrong to call abortion "yesterday’s issue," but right to say that its importance in a Supreme Court nomination battle gets too much attention. It distracts attention from other important social issues. Many conservative or semi-conservative people agree with much of the social right’s agenda, but can’t accept a rigidly pro-life position on abortion. When abortion is overemphasized, either by these groups or by the liberal media, it does the overall cause of the social right -- and of originalist SCOTUS nominees -- a disservice.

We should also remember that, in addition to social issues, the Court deals with all kinds of areas where left-leaning activists wreak havoc. We saw this two weeks ago in Kelo.

I agree. Win or lose, this is a chance to educate the public about every aspect of judicial tyranny, and it does go well beyond social issues.
The "takings" clause (eminent domain abuse) is one example. Judicially mandated spending and tax hikes is another.