Supreme Court

Fascinating op-ed piece in today's NYTimes about why it is that pro-life conservative presidents seem to appoint people to the court who end up affirming Roe Vs. Wade. His answer is that, while the country is pretty decided on the right of a woman to choose to have an abortion (even though they may not like the idea of abortion), the hard right and religious right, the core base of the Republican Party (or at least the part that has given them such electoral success) is adamant on this issue. So they pick someone who is not eager to create a social revolution and can still appeal to their base by using the language of pro-choice. Likely the Republican Party would suffer at the polls if the Supreme Court did overturn Roe Vs. Wade. So it is a cozy game.

Appealing to a radical group to get elected and then trying to govern from the center. For many of us Bush seems far right, not center. But to his religious conservative base, he looks quite different.

Bush seems in fact to prefer to name those close to him, regardless of experience or ability, to every opening.

But Supreme Court judges have a way of growing in the job. Still waiting on Clarence Thomas.