The Supreme Court on the Ballot this November

While talking heads are saying that gas prices will be the main issue in this November's presidential election (and who isn't being hit hard by this???), others are right to bring up the balance of power in the supreme court.

In a recent Washington Post article, this point was discussed:

"A victory by the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, would probably mean preserving the uneasy but roughly balanced status quo, since the justices who are considered most likely to retire are liberal. A win for his Republican counterpart, John McCain, could mean a fundamental shift to a consistently conservative majority ready to take on past court rulings on abortion rights, affirmative action and other issues important to the right."

Considering that Supreme Court Justice appointments are for life (and the president picks these), this election has implications for far more than 4 years. Something to think about as we weigh the issues in this election.