With Sandra Day O’Connor’s retirement, the “swing vote” on the Supreme Court is up for grabs. The Court currently has one liberal Democrat (Ginsburg) one moderate Democrat (Breyer), two moderate Republicans (Stevens and Souter), two conservative Republicans (Kennedy and O’Connor), and three dangerous right-wing radical theocratic nutcases who love corporations and hate civil rights and religious freedom (Scalia, Rehnquist, and Thomas).
With the swing vote gone, get ready for the greatest Supreme Court battle in American history. This is far more dangerous than Rehnquist’s impending retirement. Unless there’s a filibuster, the Republicans now have the votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, to demolish civil rights, to imprison gay people, and to use the Government to force Bush’s particular religious sect down the throats of non-believers.
With O’Connor gone, the balance of the Court will likely swing from conservative Republican to Theocratic Fundamentalism. Batten down the hatches, America, and prepare for war, else the era of the American Taliban will begin. Barring an extremely unusual Supreme Court pick (if Bush picks a conservative Republican, for example, instead of a right-wing nutcase), the filibuster is our only hope.
Prepare for battle, Americans. The next Supreme Court justice will have more impact on your life than 9/11.