There hasn’t been much news on Justice Keenan’s nomination to the Fourth Circuit recently. But yesterday, the VLW Blog reported that Virginia’s two Democratic Senators, Jim Webb and Mark Warner, invoked their Republican Governor, Robert McDonnell, in urging their Senate colleagues to act on her nomination.

According to the VLW Blog, Sens. Webb and Warner note that Justice Keenan has been a trailblazer for female jurists. She passed the Judiciary Committee by a unanimous voice vote in October. And, as further evidence of her bipartisan support, Webb and Warner point out that McDonnell had requested that she swear him in as governor.

That’s an interesting point. There was some commentary on the interwebs to the effect that Justice Keenan was a “relative moderate” without a real track record on LGBT issues. To the author’s way of thinking, she’s ruled the correct way in two LGBT cases on the SCV, but only for procedural reasons.

Leaving aside the merits of that position, at least it sounds like there’s general agreement that Justice Keenan calls balls and strikes. Isn’t there something about “being an umpire” in her job description? Yes, I’m certain I remember reading that somewhere once.

Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around. Judges are like umpires. Umpires don’t make the rules; they apply them.

The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules.

That’s right. Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice.

All true. And to that I would add that Justice Keenan an excellent judge. It may be only marginally relevant to the political process, but she does a terrific job on the SCV and will do equally well on the Fourth Circuit. So let’s get on with it.