At least, that's apparently what New York Sen. Chuck Schumer believes.

New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer, a powerful member of the Democratic leadership, said Friday the Senate should not confirm another U.S. Supreme Court nominee under President Bush “except in extraordinary circumstances.”

“We should reverse the presumption of confirmation,” Schumer told the American Constitution Society convention in Washington. “The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito.”

Exactly who is shredding the Constitution now, Sen. Schumer? Seriously, does Schumer really believe that the shoe will never be on the other foot?

If I were a Republican senator, I'd make sure that a Democrat president couldn't appoint a dog catcher until Schumer crawled to the GOP caucus and allowed them to beat him with sticks.

Oh, and I'll repeat my prediction that a narrowly controlled Democrat Senate with a Democrat president will wait about half-a-second to do away with the filibuster when it comes to judicial and executive branch nominations.

If you're wondering why I include executive branch officials in that little prediction, it's because the Democrats appear to be holding Bush's nominee to be White House budget director, Jim Nussle, hostage unless Bush gives up on his threats to veto Congressional overspending.