I'm a bit puzzled and disappointed in my conservative brethren. I usually save my puzzlement for the liberal side of the political agenda, but of late it's the conservative kin of mine who have me bewildered.

Here's the thing. The Chosen One nominates the liberal Latina from the New York projects as the next Supreme Court justice. Sonia Sotomayor tells us that her rich experience makes her a better candidate than any white male.

And, for some reason, the conservatives are up in arms over her nomination.

What did you expect? Clarence Thomas II? Get real!

Of course, our president was going to nominate an ultraliberal of Hispanic heritage. Anyone with one eye and half a brain could have seen that coming from a country mile.

So why the outrage? Why the righteous indignation?

One of the plum powers of the presidency is the nomination of the Supreme Court justices. Everyone knows that. It's either whispered or shouted during every presidential campaign. We can vote presidents out of office, but a Supreme Court justice is around for life.

And the recent election was no exception. In the back of countless minds was the impending concern that the new president would appoint one, two or even three new justices during his term.

So why are conservatives outraged that President Obama would make this pick at this time?

As a long-standing conservative, I'm not overjoyed with the words spoken repeatedly by Judge Sotomayor in the past. I fear she will ignore the Constitution if it doesn't match her life experiences. I fear she will try to level the playing field of the courts by righting whatever perceived wrongs she sees and hears. That is the definition of an activist judge, and she fits that description perfectly.

But Judge Sotomayor's qualifications aside, my beef is with the whining chorus of conservatives who seem astonished by this nomination. What is there to be astonished about?

Here's my advice for those who will cast a vote on this nomination. State clearly why you oppose this nomination and then vote accordingly. Beyond that, accept that we conservatives had our lunch handed to us in the last election and are working diligently toward finding a suitable candidate to change this absurd direction in Washington, D.C.