Abortion and affirmative action are just two of many progressive issues that could be debated by the US Supreme Court in the next four to eight years. Yesterday, President Clinton campaigned for Vice President Al Gore, reminding voters that the next president will have the power to appoint three to four Justices to the Supreme Court, therefore influencing national policy beyond the years of his own presidency. Recent Supreme Court decisions on abortion, women’s rights, and gay rights were decided on a razor-thin 5-4 margin, and at least three Justices could retire within the next presidency, including ultra-conservative William Rehnquist, liberal John Stevens, and swing vote Sandra Day O’Connor. President Clinton warned voters of a possible ultra-conservative trend in the court, citing Justices Scalia and Thomas as examples. Republican candidate George W. Bush has said that he would model his appointments after Scalia and Thomas, and that he would appoint “strict constructionists” of the Constitution, a term most legal scholars agree indicates a Justice who would overturn the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.
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