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purplecthulhu at 10:53am on 02/11/2004
purplecthulhu at 10:53am on 02/11/2004There seems to be general agreement that there is a strong chance of this year's US presidential elections ending up at the Supreme Court again. I now read here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-11-01-court_x.htm
(and elsewhere) that things could be worse...
It seems that Chief Justice Rehnquist not only has thyroid cancer but could be unable to sit in the SC for weeks or months. The possibility that he won't ever sit there again - he's 80, has cancer, has just had a tracheaotomy and is clearly ill - also exists. Rehnquist is currently the tie breaker in the court, swinging many decisions, including the result of the last presidential election, to the right.
What if we have a repeat of 2000, but, in Rehnquist's absence, now have an evenly split supreme court? Any likely remedy for this in the Consitiution (I don't know it so well that I know what it says) is likely to rest with those currently in power, who would happily swing the election in their own favour, but the public would clearly see this as self serving.
Let's hope there's a clear result tonight, and that everyone reading this who can vote, does.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-11-01-court_x.htm
(and elsewhere) that things could be worse...
It seems that Chief Justice Rehnquist not only has thyroid cancer but could be unable to sit in the SC for weeks or months. The possibility that he won't ever sit there again - he's 80, has cancer, has just had a tracheaotomy and is clearly ill - also exists. Rehnquist is currently the tie breaker in the court, swinging many decisions, including the result of the last presidential election, to the right.
What if we have a repeat of 2000, but, in Rehnquist's absence, now have an evenly split supreme court? Any likely remedy for this in the Consitiution (I don't know it so well that I know what it says) is likely to rest with those currently in power, who would happily swing the election in their own favour, but the public would clearly see this as self serving.
Let's hope there's a clear result tonight, and that everyone reading this who can vote, does.
worried