Breyer is reportedly miffed about the leak but not so miffed that he’ll scrub his plans. His retirement is just another example, like the ongoing wave of Democratic congressional retirements, that Democrats expect to lose big in the midterms. So if he wants to be replaced by someone sufficiently leftist, he’d better see his successor confirmed while the Democrats still (sort of) control the Senate.

That means we’re in for another round of confirmation theater. As soon as the Breyer news broke, Jesse Kelly, channeling the Democrats’ fake scandal aimed at Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, announced: “Whoever Biden wants to replace him raped me in high school. I don’t remember where. Don’t ask me to come back to DC. I’m afraid to fly.”

I suspect Republicans won’t be as over the top as Democrats were then, with mobs of angry feminists cornering senators in elevators. But the GOP must decide how to respond. And Republicans are already debating the question.