SUPREME COURT HANGS IN BALANCE (Schumer, Webb, Tester, Ford to Filibuster)

The importance of this midterm election has been overshadowed by the diversion of Iraq. While the war and the manner in which it is fought is an important consideration, the near hysteria over the subject has overshadowed the real significance of this election--the U.S. Supreme Court.

One thing the Democrats have succeeded in doing is burying the issue of the Court beneath the vitriolic rhetoric about the war.

A Democrat-controlled Congress would insure that any Bush nominee to the Court would be blocked. It is almost certain that the President will send up at least one more nominee, maybe more. Rumors about the health of Justice John Paul Stevens have been swirling of late, not to mention the fact that he is the Court's oldest member.

Pamela Gellar Oshry over at Atlas Shrugs reports the following:

'The Democrats have big plans for the SCOTUS and they will filibuster while spitting in America's face, no doubt. Over at Stop the ACLU;

'Casey, Webb, Ford & Tester Agree To Schumer Filibuster Pact

'For those involved in GOP-GOTV, it is very important to know the rumors on John Paul Stevens:

'For the past several weeks, there has been a rumor circulating among high-level officials in Washington, D.C., that a member of the U.S. Supreme Court has received grave medical news and will announce his or her retirement by year’s end.

'Then the GOP-GOTV dynamite is just what would these “moderate democrat” Senator wannabes do if elected:

'Schumer is reported to have assured Democrats that Bob Casey Jr. — despite running as a moderate Senate candidate — would be supportive of Democratic efforts to block constitutionalist judicial nominees. “There’s no worry on judges,” said Schumer. “And judges is the whole ball of wax.” Other supposedly centrist Democratic candidates including Harold Ford Jr. (Tenn.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Jim Webb (Va.) have refused to rule out filibusters against judicial nominees.'

Many thanks to Pamela for this eye-opening information.

In short, Schumer has secured the agreement of Webb, Casey, Tester, and Ford to filibuster to block any Bush appointee, that is, if these candidates win.

What does this mean in terms of specific court cases? A Democrat-controlled Congress would demand nominees that would support abortion on demand, for one. In fact, this is THE litmus test of the Left when it comes to judicial appointments. Any potential Court appointee who as much as voices the slightest hint that Roe v. Wade should be reexamined is automatically ejected without regard to the nominee's credentials.

This is precisely why, with the exception of Lieberman, I call for the election of only Republican candidates. The Democrats will wreak havoc on the Supreme Court and remove any vestage of judicial restraint from the practice of Constitutional law.