Bloomberg Opinion on Amy Coney Barrett’s hearings:

Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment to the Supreme Court was achieved over furious Democratic objections, in what might be the closing days of both Donald Trump’s presidency and Republican control of the Senate. Seen by critics as improper and even illegitimate, it could have a lasting impact. It cements a 6-3 conser vative majority at the top of the judicial branch of government — an outcome that could have profound consequences for public policy in the coming years.

Finding this hard to accept, many Democrats are wondering what to do next. If they prevail in the elections already under way, there’s talk of “packing the court,” or expanding the number of justices to reverse the partisan balance. Former Vice President Joe Biden has been pressed to say whether he’d lead such an effort, but hasn’t committed himself. In the past, he’s argued that packing the court would be dangerous. Under pressure to say something different, last week he proposed a bipartisan commission to look into possible reforms.

This idea isn’t much liked. Many on the left see it as a cop-out, and many on the right as a threat, lightly veiled for tactical purposes. In fact, Biden is correct. The existing norms are failing and do need attention, but the answer certainly isn’t packing the court. If anything demands cross-party cooperation to avoid making matters worse, it’s this.

The court is still highly regarded, but increasingly at risk of being seen by citizens as a political player. This is partly the fault of its justices, who’ve sometimes let themselves be cast in this role. But it’s mostly the fault of Congress, which frequently opts to be paralyzed, in effect delegating legislative responsibilities to the judicial branch. ..

If each side looks at the court chiefly as a way to seize political advantage, rather than to uphold the rule of law, then everybody loses — the courts, the president, Congress and above all the countr y’s citizens.