[SoConPubbie]

John Lott, an economist who has written thought-provoking books on everything from gun control to the federal budget, says the pitched battles over court nominations are having real-world consequences. He argues that our federal courts are being intellectually degraded as politicians in both parties try to keep the brightest and most articulate lawyers from becoming judges.

I hope I am reading this wrong, but it sounds like Lott is equivocating here.

There are no intellectual lawyers on the left, just those who have no values, principles and prefer Marxism, Statism, or Progressivism to constitutional governance and jurisprudence.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Intellect is a neutral resource. It does not equate to wisdom or righteousness.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I.e. it is possible to be brightly foolish. Nobody guaranteed that intellect cannot serve lies, only truths. It’s the very nature of cosmic (divinely permitted) choice.