Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Get Your Campaign On

85: That's how old liberal Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is. Today. And yes we're glad to hear he's spry for his age and even plays a round of tennis now and then. But four years from today, when there'll be a new president, he'll be 89. Right to Privacy? Hello? If you're worried now about the new shape of the Court, wait and see what another four years of Republicanism will do. Whoever it is that's planning campaigns for Evan Bayh, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, can you make this an issue? Nice Constitution and Bill of Rights we have here. Be a shame if we lost it. (and by the way, since the next president will likely have at least one Court appointment, I'm not going to be doing any hand-wringing if a Joe Biden or Evan Bayh gets the nomination. While none of the prospective 2008 field is my kind of progressive, who would you rather see holding this next appointment--Evan Bayh or Sam Brownback?)

George Will, the conservative dean of pundits, has a column out entitled Why The Voting Rights Act is Bad for Everyone. I won't do the disservice of linking to it, because the title about says it all (although I recognize that column titles are usually determined by the newspaper or media outlet). In any event, HRC, Joe Biden, Evan Bayh, John Edwards, in the course of your campaigns, can you find some time for arguing why we need to reauthorize those portions of the Voting Rights Act that are up for renewal in 2007?

Roy Moore, the "ten commandments judge" is running for governor in Alabama. He'll challenge fellow Republican Bob Riley in the primary. While I don't wish this man on the good people of Alabama, it's worth considering that, should he win in 2006, he'd be ripe for the Republican's top slot in 2008. Needless to say, I think it'd be great for the progressive cause, and for the next Dem nominee, if Moore runs for president in 2008.

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