Stop! In the name of all that's good and decent, and Love too!

Hear today's episode of Radio or Not by clicking here (runtime today is a short 9:18)

Yesterday was the first Monday in October, the day the Supreme Court returns to the bench. This should serve as a very serious reminder of what's at stake on November 4. The next President will appoint definitely one, probably two and very possibly three Supreme Court Justices.

These appointments will determine the course of this country for probably the next 50 years.

Watch this clip of John McCain, just a few short months ago, praising George W. Bush for his Supreme Court nominees:



And read this, from Kathryn Kolbert, President of People For the American Way:

Mon Oct. 6, 2008 Today’s the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term, and President Bush is using the occasion to appear before the Cincinnati Federalist Society. He’s being joined by a coterie of right-wing judicial activists who helped him push hundreds of nominations through the Senate. Among them will be Wendy Long, whose Judicial Confirmation Network just launched a nasty smear campaign against Obama.

Bush is taking a victory lap, and you almost can’t blame him. Of all the terrible things that he set out to do, shifting the federal courts far to the right is the only thing he’s achieved. A full one of every three federal judges were appointed by Bush, including Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito on the Supreme Court, and they have steadily chipped away at our rights.

But Bush couldn’t quite close the deal – the right-wing bloc on the Supreme Court is still one vote short of an unstoppable majority. Justice Stevens – 88 years young and the most progressive member of the Supreme Court – stubbornly refused to retire. Justices Ginsburg and Souter, who have reportedly eyed retirement, also weathered the Bush reign, presumably in hopes of a better political environment next year.

What that means is McCain, if elected, stands to achieve Bush’s goal of a right-wing court. There’s no uncertainty here – McCain has pledged to nominate “clones of Roberts and Alito”:
So that’s where we’re at. The next 40 years of the Supreme Court are on the ballot.

Tonight is the second of three debates between Barack Obama and John McCain. Showtime is 9pm. It's going to be a "Town Hall" style debate. So, if you were in the audience, what question would you ask? Feel free to head over to the message board and chime in....

After the debate tonight, at about 11:30 eastern, I'll be joining my friend Marc Germain on his live webcast at www.talkradioone.com to talk about what we just saw. If you're still awake, I hope you'll listen in!

Tomorrow, I'll have lots of debate audio and perhaps a conversation with Thom Hartmann.

And if you're playing the drinking game tonight, it's one drink for every time McCain says "My friends." If you do that, I doubt you'll still be standing to listen tonight... so I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Hear today's episode of Radio or Not by clicking here (runtime today is a short 9:18)