Shortly after Justice David Souter began his tenure on the U.S. Supreme Court, his name became a sort of shorthand used by conservative activists who didn't appreciate his liberal leanings and believed they had been duped - by Souter, by the first President Bush and by then-White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu, who had assured them that Souter would be a "home run" for their side.

"No more Souters" became the rallying cry of those who demanded that judicial nominees be crystal clear about their beliefs and judicial philosophies from the get-go. In other words, no surprises.

As President Obama now begins the task of picking Souter's replacement on the court, there are no doubt liberals who feel the same way: They want to know what they're getting.

And yet Obama would be wise to look for many of the very attributes Souter brought to his two decades on the court.

Consider:

• Souter owed his job - in fact most of his jobs over the years - to Republican politicians, yet he easily divorced those loyalties from the task at hand. This was most notable in the Bush v. Gore case of 2000 when, as part of the minority, he insisted that Florida should be allowed to continue counting votes, rather than handing the presidential election to the Republicans. He reportedly viewed the outcome as raw partisan politics, and it soured him greatly on the court.

• Longtime court-watchers describe Souter's demeanor over two decades as the epitome of judicial. He was courteous yet persistent when questioning the attorneys before him. And he was eminently well-prepared.

• He was not an ideologue. Souter came to the court without an agenda - except his commitment to core constitutional values. He valued judicial precedent. But he was mindful of the way the law affected the everyday lives of regular Americans.

• Most of all, he never lost track of who he was. Souter made clear from the beginning that he had little interest in the trappings of Washington power and the social scene in the nation's capital. He rarely spoke publicly. He didn't write a book or give TV interviews. His lack of pretense quickly made him a favorite among the court staff. Twenty years later, nothing has changed.

Nonpartisan, intellectually sharp, open-minded and self-confident - not a bad help-wanted ad for the next justice of the Supreme Court.

When Souter first went to Washington back in 1990, the political class and national media treated him like a curious misfit from another century.

Why no computer? Why no wife? Why not a spiffier house? Why not snazzier clothes? Nearly 20 years later, the national news coverage has much the same air of bafflement about it: He's choosing New Hampshire over Washington? He still has that same ramshackle old house? He wants to sit around and read?

With luck, that will soon be replaced by an appreciation for a judge who served his country with honesty, courage and honor. Welcome home, Justice Souter.