The SCOTUS is on the verge of being taken over by right-wing extremists who most probably will repeal much of the Bill Of Rights and destroy what is left of the Enlightenment as well as the scientific method. This must be stopped, not only for the sake of American citizens, but for the sake of all people on the planet. The US has, over the years, set the standard for human rights, compassion for the weak and sick, and has been a champion for equality in the law for ALL people. If Bush is allowed to pack the SCOTUS with right-wing troglodytes, this heritage will be lost and the world will become a more dangerous place for those not wealthy or powerful.
Below the fold is my idea for stopping this travesty.
Delay the Roberts hearings until the end of October, using any means necessary. The reason for this is that there is a good probability that the Fitzgerald indictments in the Plame/Wilson case will be handed down by the grand jury, which expires in Oct. While we have no knowledge of who will be indicted for which crimes, it is likely that some high-ranking White House officials will among the indicted.
These indictments are why Bush wants to get the Roberts hearings over with before the next SCOTUS session, which starts the first Monday in October, BEFORE the indictments come out. By waiting until after the Plame/Wilson indictments are issued, the Senate Dems will be fighting a weakened administration with very little reserve of public goodwill (political capital) to carry them through a filibuster fight. IMHO, Senate Republicans are not going to be willing to fight an uphill battle for a lame-duck president who is tanking in the polls and whose members are facing criminal charges.
Of course, this assumes that there are enough Dems willing to take on a 'nuclear option' fight. I would suggest that they shut down the Senate as a preemptive move BEFORE a vote on the 'nuclear option'. This takes away Frist's advantage in the timing of the vote and reclaims the initiative for the Dems, who can go on the talk shows and spin things to their advantage (prepare the talking points in advance). But the most important thing to do is to stall these hearings until AFTER the Fitzgerald indictments are out.
I am a Canadian, so the SCOTUS appointments don't directly affect me right now, but there are many Canadians who are nervous about the prospect of living next to a 400kg gorilla with a 16th century legal system.