American Notes SUPREME COURT

"This will be painless," declared Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph Biden last week. And so it was for Supreme Court Nominee Anthony Kennedy, as he breezed through his confirmation hearings before the same panel that put Robert Bork through a bruising, highly partisan interrogation last summer. Kennedy's deferential manner, as well as a "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association, guaranteed easy treatment.

The California appeals-court judge sailed smoothly through two days of questioning. Unlike Bork, he assured Senators of his respect for previous Supreme Court decisions and belief in an individual's "zone of liberty" from Government intrusion. Despite the grumblings of conservatives still smarting over the rejection of Bork, Kennedy seems assured of confirmation when the Senate reconvenes after Christmas recess.