The Supreme Court can't just "take it on" until it works its way there through various other courts. The challenge for the pro-abortion people is that if they let this stand, all they've lost is South Dakota where I understand there is only one small killing center, but if they push it through the courts, they stand to lose a lot more. And the fact that they can't predict the composition of the Court by the time the case gets there makes it even more of a gamble.
I think you're right, to an extent. I can't see the pro-aborts taking it past the state courts if they lose. But what if they win in the State Supreme Court? Is South Dakota willing to take this all the way, knowing the risks?
If Bush gets another pick, he may nominate a flaming liberal as payback to his liberal friends.
How long is that going to take, though? It should not take but a few days for a district court to throw it out, and clearly it will because as noted, abortion is not going to end in SD anytime soon, so that implies that the district court will very shortly make some kind of a ruling. That leaves the question of how long it will take the appellate court to deal with the case. I'd say less than a year.