With the war of words surrounding Sonia Sotomayor, you might get the impression that a battle royale is taking place.

I was acquainted with Clarence Thomas in the summer of 1991 because I had interviewed him as chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. But when George H.W. Bush introduced him to the American public, the president didn't stress his government service.

Less than an hour after President Obama announced his Supreme Court nominee yesterday, two "senior administration officials" began holding forth for reporters on the virtues of Sonia Sotomayor.

Less than an hour after President Obama announced his Supreme Court nominee yesterday, two "senior administration officials" began holding forth for reporters on the virtues of Sonia Sotomayor.

Less than an hour after President Obama announced his Supreme Court nominee yesterday, two "senior administration officials" began holding forth for reporters on the virtues of Sonia Sotomayor.

Jon Meacham admits it is hard to explain, even to his own people, why chopping Newsweek's circulation in half is a good thing.

Jon Meacham admits it is hard to explain, even to his own people, why chopping Newsweek's circulation in half is a good thing.

My obsessive media-watching has led me to come up with a theory.

My obsessive media-watching has led me to come up with a theory.

I'm going to skip over the day's big winner, Carrie Prejean -- hey, all three cable nets carried the presser in which she got to keep her beauty pageant crown -- to focus on one of the week's losers.