The Man Who Would Be King

I am scratching my head, wondering how it is possible that the man who was to be king, has effectively become the king. The world hates this country because of him. More than half of his own people think he sucks at his job. How is it possible that he will be allowed to appoint two supreme court justices?
Reading Josh Marshall, I agree that the most immediate part of O'Connor's resignation may very well be the loss of choice for women. But the even scarier part is what lies beyond that. The economy, the loss of worker's rights, the loss of our very humanity, at the expense of the marketplace. What a truly dismal picture.