[yoe]

*** Supreme Court Judges "essentially make law" -Barbara Boxer***

What the left wants is another Ruth Badder Ginsburg, a woman who does make law from the bench; Ginsburg is exactly the worst kind of lawyer when it comes to reading and executing the law as written.

Word on the street is that Ginsburg's health is in question - a vacancy on the Ginsburg bench would be welcome.

[Congressman Billybob]

Justice Ginsburg is elderly, and a cancer survivor. Justice Stevens is just plain elderly (oldest, at 85). That's why, barring surprises, I expect it's likely that those two will not remain on the bench through the end of President Bush's current term.

If Judge Alito is confirmed without a filibuster, which I consider highly likely, this will be a good omen for judicial conservatives to succeed as replacements for Justices Ginsburg and Stevens. This will be especially true if the Republicans gain seats in the Senate in 2006. The difference between a Republican gain of two seats, and four seats, will depend on the results in Pennsylvania (Santorum) and Maryland (Steele).

John / Billybob

[Chances Are]

One thing I've noticed in all these discussions about Bush filling Supreme Court vacancies (not just here, but everywhere, especially on TV) is that for the Dems to have ANY chance of success in influencing (let alone naming) the selection of Supreme Court nominees, they have to start winning elections!

Since they show little increase in the probability of that happening any time soon, they have to resort to obstructionist tactics, even tho their in-house propaganda organ, the MSM, should theoretically have the power and influence to sway public opinion in their favor.

This state of affairs prompts me to opine that (1) the influence of the MSM is indeed in deep decline, and (2) the educational establishment's efforts at creating the "new Soviet Man", if not a failure, has yet to bear fruit.

There may yet be hope for the Republic...

CA....