Chief Justice

The ongoing debate in the US over the appointment of a new Chief Justice is both surprising and alarming. In the US style of government, the court is a part of the checks and balances which are supposed to insure that a governing party does not do something fundamentally wrong. However, this is exactly what is being eroded right now.
The conservative elements which worked to get Bush re-elected now claim that they have the right to dictate law. They do not want Specter, who is a Republican, but left-leaning, to become Chief Justice. They are afraid that he will not nominate ultra-conservative judges for appointment to the Supreme Court. Ultimately, they want decisions such as Roe vs Wade overturned so that they can influence the policies both on a political front a swell as on a judicial front.

These are scary times for the US. When the people at large can influence court decisions we have to start questioning...