With all the commentary about the U.S. Supreme Court nomination and lesser commentary about U.S. Courts of Appeal and Federal District Courts, what should be the standards for selecting a good jurist?   

The modern way of selecting judges is doing a terrible disservice to the judiciary. At county and state levels where there are elections, massive amounts of monies often determine a judicial race. The federal appointment system, unfortunately, is not really a merit system but a “who you know” system where political connections and monies still play a major role. On the other hand, politics should not necessarily have the dirty name that it does. In essence, political organizations promote and organize activities by various citizens, selecting candidates of their choice and espousing various viewpoints. That is the essence of democracy and what the First Amendment is all about. The judiciary and particularly the U.S. Supreme Court has to appear to be above political consideration. That is why the U.S. Supreme Court has always maintained a favorable and respectful rating among voters and citizens. The court has always been perceived to be above politics. That perception was dealt a significant blow during the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the 2000 election and recent political maneuvering over the last three years has caused further damage.