As much as John Paul Stevens' retirement will alter the internal dynamic of the Supreme Court, one constant will remain: Anthony Kennedy as the swing voter between the liberal and conservative sides.

Yet the liberals' interaction with Kennedy will change once Stevens is gone. Stevens has been their leader, more senior than Kennedy, a man who has earned Kennedy's respect over the years they have spent together on the court, and -- not insignificantly -- from having served with distinction in the Navy during World War II. These are qualities that Stevens cannot pass on to a successor.

So the question for the court's remaining liberal members -- and perhaps most especially for President Obama, as he ponders a nominee to follow Stevens -- is this: What can they do to woo Kennedy's vote to their side as often as possible?

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