And you can't go on when the knife feels like justice...

So, not to diminish or understate the tragedy ongoing in the Guld Coast, but the country suffered another tragedy this weekend: The death of Chief Justice Reinquist. Now let me state again, the suffering going on in Katrina's wake is huge, and immediate, and I'm not trying to downplay it. But the death of Reinquist, or more accurately, another opening on the Court, has the potential to be disasterous for this nation in other ways, and for a much longer period of time.

Reinquist's opening on the bench is not as...potentially detrimental as O'Conner, because he was already on the Court's right wing (although not as extreme as either Scalia or Thomas), and she was a middle of the roader. Bushie is unlikely to appoint anyone to replace either of them with someone who isn't a right winger, it's just a matter of degree. So replacing a right winger (Reinquist) with another right winger, isn't as momentous as replacing O'Conner with one.

But the bigger issue is that I don't beleive either Scalia or Thomas are over 60, and Roberts is only 50. So if Bushie picks another right winger, that means, the right wing of the Court will be relatively young and could, concieveably, have 30 years or so to fuck with and destroy all the rights the Constitution grants, that we fought hard to get, and that we now have, and are entitled to as American citizens. They could take away rights that everyone takes for granted.

It is truly a frightening proposition. And what's even scarier is that Stevens is over 90, Ginsburg has battled cancer while on the Court, and none of the moderate ones are spring chickens, so it's possible that Bushie could appoint one, two or even three more before he schlepts out of office.

And that thought keeps me awake at night.

POLT

As long as they've got sidewalks, you've got a job. - Footlight Parade