Sandra Day O'Connor

A touch of a surprise, perhaps, that O'Connor was the first to resign. But a scary surprise for us liberals, given O'Connor's reliability in the swing department. She appeared to single-handedly keep the Supremes from tilting so far to the right as to tip right over.

Yet, she IS a conservative. But the Republican war is already on to cast O'Connor as a "moderate". Please. "Moderate Conservative"? Maybe. The Politican Animal quoted someone calling her a "Reagan Moderate". Maybe. I think Kevin Drum is dead on--conservatives are framing O'Connor as a moderate so they can push for a hard right liner.

Lovely.

The nation will get dragged through the whole filibuster issue once again. How short-sighted can one political party be, to give up such a powerful tool? Or are they far-sighted, since they believe they are omnipotent and will never leave leadership again? My 17 yr old is convinced that Bush wants to take over the world, starting with US. Maybe he's paranoid. Or maybe he's right.

And who are the potential candidates for disaster? Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; U.S. Appeals Court judges J. Harvie Wilkinson, J. Michael Luttig, Michael McConnell, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Emilio Garza, Edith Jones and Edith Brown Clement; and Judge Janice Rogers Brown of the California Supreme Court.

Gonzales, Mr. Suspend the Geneva Convention so we can torture people? John Roberts, Mr. the Endangered Species Act is unconstitutional? McConnell, Mr. Anti-Abortion? Brown, Ms. I Don't need No Stinking Precedent and My Views are More Important than the Constitution?

Go research all these guys. Make your day. Personally, I'm having trouble breathing.

The Right is asking its supporters to prayer for Bush. I'm praying too, honey. Praying that the Left has the backbone, the moral fibre, the fortitude, the breasts (not balls), to stand up and demand a truly balanced Supreme Court.

Until tomorrow,
Liz