The Supreme Court: The Republicans Are Focused on Moving It to the Right

The single most effective Republican initiative over the past 25 years has been to replace progressive judges with reactionary, conservatives at all levels.

The Supreme Court is merely the most visible court but it has shifted strongly to the right

Current members
John Paul Stevens (Ford) was regarded as moderate now part of the “liberal” wing he is 88 years old will likely retire next year
Antonin Scalia (Reagan) a staunch conservative
Clarence Thomas (Reagan) staunch conservative with a chip on his shoulder
David Souter (Bush 1) moderate, apparently interested in retiring
Anthony Kennedy (Reagan) moderate/conservative
Ruth Ginsberg (Clinton) liberal, 75 in mediocre health will likely retire during the next four years Steve Breyer (Clinton) moderate/liberal
John Roberts (W Bush) staunch conservative
Sam Alito (W Bush) staunch conservative

So you only have 2 Democratic appointees who regularly align with Souter/Stevens to create a moderate bloc. Kennedy is the swing vote although certainly no progessive.

Scalia/Thomas/Alito and Roberts are a solid bloc of staunch conservatives.

There are 3 likely spots that will open up in the next President’s term all of whom are in the current progressive bloc. If just one goes to a conservative, the Court will swing immediately to hard core conservative. While a Democratically controlled Senate will influence any appointee there is no way of them to realistically preclude McCain from appointing another conservative with a smile like a Roberts for instance.

While overturning Roe v. Wade would in some respects energize the left it would still be a massive step back for the country. In the mean time, stem cell research and dozens of other more subtle steps would be taken to move the US from its position as a source of liberty and progessiveness to a withering bastion of reactionary legal philosophy.

In the mean time the Republicans have been filling regional federal courts with their appointees who receive far less scrutiny than the Supreme Court.

Ensuring a reasonable judiciary is one of the core reasons one should vote Democrat. The Republicans keep pushing the courts right because many voters do not focus on the courts but I assure you their religious right base does, the courts are one of their FUNDAMENTAL concerns.