No sooner can you say “Soros” than an indignant letter-to-the-editor appears in The Wall Street Journal from Ann Beeson, U.S. director of the George Soros-funded Open Society Institute complaining about Collin Levy’s recent exposure of the cynicism and money behind the well-heeled campaign for the“merit selection” of judges.

She makes a stunning claim:

“Unlike current opponents of voter-enacted merit selection plans, we do not claim to have a monopoly on wisdom when it comes to questions of whether  judicial elections or merit selection deliver better judges to the bench.”

Well, actually, that is exactly what proponents of merit selection claim, many of whom are funded by Soros.

They argue that a handful of politicians and wealthy trial lawyers who dominate the bar will be able to make judicial selections behind closed doors with Olympian detachment.

I don’t deny that democracy is sometimes not pretty. But its grandeur and its flaws are on public display. If the merit selection of judges is prettier, it is only because we can’t see the ugly politics occurring behind the closed doors.

Hey, here’s an idea for truth in advertising…Perhaps Soros should call his organization the Closed Door $ociety.