I remain totally opposed to the PATRIOT Act and it's successor(s). I also remain opposed to the idea of having the Bushies in charge of anything whatever. I also agree that Supreme Court appointments are often politically motivated. But given all of that, I'm not sure I believe that individual Justices are without integrity.

Do the Bushies lack integrity? Of course, no question. Do most lawmakers lack integrity? So it would seem. Does that mean that the Supreme Court Justices won't uphold the U.S. Constitution? I'm not sure I think that necessarily follows.

Just as a lame-duck President works to mend his legacy and frame the historical view of his presidency, a Supreme Court Justice—whose name will be forgotton long before the President who appointed him—must define his historical legacy. That legacy must be defined in terms of the legal basis for his opinions as judged when the heat of petty political squables has long cooled. If SCJs aren't rememberd in the great law schools, they really served no purpose at all.

      - Mark