Long Tail on the Supreme Court

Well - the boom dropped - and now I find my worst fears becoming real...

One of the reasons why I took the leap from London to Washington, DC was because of this fact - the next President would have the responsibility of selecting one, two or even three judges on the Supreme Court. And, with Judge O'Connor being the most influential justice resigning - and Bush speaking about casting the next Supreme in the mold of Scalia and Thomas - I am concerned. (Look here for the potential candidates - Slate: Supreme Court Shortlist).

While I am a strong proponent of technology and community - I have always been a strong supporter of freedom and the rights of the individuals within society. And, to the fact that our country has been cast into the "left" and the "right", it always frustrates me that there are a number of people who live within the "moderate" realm are much larger, much more nuanced. Who will speak on the rights of the majority? Or will the extremes determine the balance of our society?

I wonder - because it is in the press' interest to report on the right (see the Associated Press: Conservative Christians welcome O’Connor’s retirement) and on the left (ABC News: Interest Groups Mobilize for Court Push) - heck, one of my favorite sparring partners more than likely is spinning up the email campaign (look here for RightMarch's effort) to combat MoveOn.org's effort. But where is the moderate's point of view? Where are the groups that speak to the majority of the country? Possibly UniteOurStates.com?

The question is - will Senator Reid prepare the nuclear option? How will we make sure that the balance of the court be retained?