Via the Free Beacon. Between this, Amy Barrett’s Seventh Circuit confirmation hearing and the surreal uproar in December over the Knights of Columbus, one of the most anodyne faith organizations in America, there’s really no doubt anymore that Democrats would impose a de jure religious test if the Constitution didn’t prohibit it.

They wouldn’t make it a strict “no Christians” test for the simple reason that that would cost them too many votes. But a “no ‘extremist’ Christians” test, with “extremist” defined as devoutly believing what the Catholic Church teaches about liberal sacred cows like abortion and gay marriage?

Sure. They’d apply that as rigidly as electoral politics would allow them to. They’re doing their best to apply it now in a soft de facto form. Spartacus here would never admit that he’ll vote against a nominee simply because they hold mainstream Christian moral views, but that’s the reality. You would think he’d be careful at least to phrase questions like this strictly in terms of “morality,” not “sin,” an unmistakably religious concept, but maybe Booker’s past the point of pretending. Points for candor, I guess.

His tone’s gotten better too. The Cory Booker of a year ago would have been theatrical about his indignation, perhaps with a few tears to drive home the point. The reality of a national campaign for president may have convinced him to tone it downwhen going on offense against people over religion.

This was only one of a series of tough questions asked by Democrats (and not just Democrats) today of D.C. Circuit nominee Neomi Rao. (Follow this thread for a few examples.) The D.C. Circuit is first among equals among federal appellate courts and produces a lot of future Supreme Court justices, most recently Brett Kavanaugh. Rao is Indian-American, a woman, and only 45 years old, which makes her a sure shortlister for the next vacancy. The Dems are trying to rough her up here to warn Trump away from nominating her to the High Court or at least to lay the groundwork for how they’ll attack at a SCOTUS confirmation hearing. Booker’s line of questioning might actually be a point in her favor to the White House, though: At some point Trump’s going to have to nominate Barrett or some other devoutly religious person if only to give Democrats a stage on which to show voters how hostile they are to the idea of dogmatic Christians in high office.

His line of questioning caught Ted Cruz’s attention too. That’s the second clip below. By the way, if you’re thinking that Democrats would be more receptive to a Trump nominee who is himself gay, you’re wrong, of course. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris recently scrambled to block Patrick Bumatay from the Ninth Circuit. Bumatay is a Harvard Law grad, a federal prosecutor, Filipino-American, and yes, gay — and only 40 years old. The left knows a potential Supreme Court nominee when they see one.