Senator Ken Salazar, ever the moderate, weighs in on Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers.

Previewing his Thursday meeting in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Salazar said he does not think Miers’ personal views on abortion are critical, as long as she judges individual cases on their merits. “For me, a person’s own personal views on abortion are not a litmus test,” Salazar said. “I don’t think you need to have a position that says you support abortion rights in order to get on the Supreme Court. That’s not a litmus test to me.”

That has to be the singular answer that will alienate both the right and the left. Conservatives want a litmus test — and a guarantee that Miers will vote to overrule Roe v. Wade. Liberals want assurances she won’t. We already know Miers is not going answer the question. She will say, as have most nominees before her, including Ginsburg and Roberts, that she will not answer questions about how she will rule on issues that are likely to come before the Court. For Salazar to say her personal views aren’t critical begs the issue.

Memo to Sen. Salazar: Your answer should have been, “I have seen nothing to suggest that Ms. Miers’ personal or religious views would affect her rulings as a Supreme Court Justice. I look forward to her confirmation hearings, to assure myself and the citizens of Colorado that this in fact the case.”