Rehnquist Requiem
It's just one disaster after another: with Chief Justice William Rehnquist dead, there are now two open spots on the Supreme Court, one of them paving the way for Scalia to don the stripey robes. Roberts' nomination is sure to reach confirmation, even though he's pretty much a right-wing ideologue in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade, and having supported, if not openly espoused, a variety of policies and political entities, including the former apartheid government of South Africa, and we've seen a lot lately of the kinds of extremists the Bush Administration wants to put forward for federal judgeships, as well as their callous indifference to the rule of law and international standards of justice. If their neglect and mishandling of New Orleans is any indication at all, and I think it is, we can only expect Bush to thrust the Supreme Court back into the judicial dark ages. I hope the Democrats in the Senate are getting ready for a fight.