Terrific analysis.
A few questions: Does O'Connor still have full control of her mental faculties? (I am wondering if she has gone dotty.) How much does her staff have to do with her rulings, and do you know if they are liberal mice (I thought I read something to that effect here on FR not long ago). I just wonder if her staff tells her how to rule and then provides the ammo for her "opinions". And finally, it seems that O'Connor has made a couple of other uncharacteristic rulings lately (the go-ahead, have-sex-with-children-and-goats-in-the-privacy-of-your-own-bedroom ruling is an example); is there a guilt thing going on here from the 2000 Presidential election rulings? Is O'Connor trying to "balance" those rulings which favored the Republicans by throwing a few bones (albeit, dangerous bones) to the scumbags?
By the way, I agree that the other four votes to gut the first amendment were no surprise at all. You got any skinny on the health of those disgraceful scumbags or if any of them are thinking of throwing in the towel soon?
Thanks again for a great post.
Regards,
LH
Every Justice has crackerjack clerks, very bright and looking to make a name for themselves. Since the Justices read some of their potential employees writings and also interview them, presumably they get ones who are in the same ballpark with themselves.
As for how much each Justice does, versus having staff do it, that's personal to each Justice. Though as they get older, Justices tend to leave more of the work to staff. However, all that is after the fact. Cases are actually decided in the Friday afternoon conferences at the end of the week in which the argument is held. Only the Justices are present for that conference.
I don't think the problem is that Justice O'Connor has gone potty. She's no pottier than any other Justice at this time. It is that she's gone round the bend in her jurisprudence. As for health, age and resignations, let's just say I expect to see three resignations within or at the end of this Term of the Court.
John / Billybob