Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s hospitalization this past week highlighted an issue that’s in the background of this presidential election, but one that will affect America’s future in dramatic ways. The chief justice is on the mend, but we are reminded of the inevitable: whoever wins will name the next Supreme Court justice—very likely more than one.
Some conservatives last week quickly jumped to bogeyman possibilities: Chief Justice Hillary Rodham Clinton under a President John F. Kerry! But one doesn’t need a Hillary Clinton to get judicial activism.
“A Kerry presidency would have dire consequences for the future of the Supreme Court and of our country,” warns a group of Catholic lawyers in a recently released open letter (which our Shannen Coffin had something to do with). Their cautions are couched in Catholic terms, aimed at Catholic voters, but their message is relevant not only to Catholics, but people of faith across the board, as well as any American who does not want Supreme Court justices legislating from the bench.
Andy McCarthy has more on judges on NRO today. Read it. And rally anyone who needs rallying.