Under Michigan law, there are two ways judges are able to sit on the bench. One way is through elections. The other is when the governor appoints the judge and the voters decide to retain them election time. They then run for re-election every x number of years after that. (6 or 8 I believe).
In 2000, we had(and still have) a 4-2-1 majority on the court. Four conservatives, two liberals, and one swing voter. The Four conservatives were Engler judges, and three of them were up for election. The democrats dumped millions of dollars running "Markman, Tayor, and Young! Oh My" ads trying to defeat them all and take over the court, with Corrigan being the only conservative left.
Luckily, they failed to take the court, and they recently wrote their own Eminent Domain decision overturning the infamous Poletown(1981's activist court) decision clearing a good neighborhood away for a GM plant that no longer is running.
This is the number one issue for me. All of my other major issues are affected by judges. I just hope Bush makes the right decision here. I think any of the four conservatives from Michigan's Supreme Court would be excellent - and the libs would have a fit.
I just hope we have a liberal leave this court, either via death or retirement, before 2008.
We need really badly to get one....just one...more conservative justice on the SCOTUS to finally get a conservative majority.
Kennedy isn't reliable and will vote with the libs on the important things.