Supreme Issues

Sorry I've been away these past few days, everyone, but I've been having problems with my computer. In fact, these very probelms completely ruined my last three nights! >:-( Tonight has been better, though, and while I haven't gotten all the bugs out yet, I've been able to at least get a handle on everything. Also, I've resumed writing my article on Awilda Rivera, and as I write the first draft I seem to be getting a better idea of how it will turn out.

Meanwhile, everyone had been expecting a Supreme Court retirement this week, and sure enough, there was one - but not the one everyone had been anticipating, that of Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman on the Court and a mildly conservative state sovereignty advocate who had a been a swing vote on key cases, announced her retirement today. Democrats are kicking themselves at the fact that John Kerry (more of whom in a moment) won't be naming her replacement and that they were only three million votes away this past November from making George W. Bush the only Republican President never to deal with a High Court vacancy, but rumor has it that O'Connor was waiting for the chance to retire once a Republican President was in a safe position to choose her successor; I'm guessing that the only reason she didn't quit during Bush's first term was because the Senate wasn't quite solidly under GOP control. As for Rehnquist, he'll probably keep serving until they have to carry him out.  In a straitjacket!

As for Kerry, he's still out there, explaining in detail what should be done about Iraq (why wasn't he doing this a year ago this time??), sending e-mails to his "supporters," and still trying to make himself look relevant. Somehow, I doubt anyone is listening. And although his suggestion that we should put more effort into training Iraqi soldiers and rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure are laudable, the fact is that Bush is dead set on maintaining his current course of inaction in the war.

Bearing all that in mind, I'd like to announce that today is Canada Day.