The malevolent demagogue that was voted out of office last November was noted for his obsession with trying to tear down previous administrations' accomplishments, notably President Obama's Affordable Care Act. He failed, and millions kept their health insurance. But he hit the jackpot in terms of Federal judicial appointments: 174 District Court judges, 54 Appeals Court judges, and most significantly, three Supreme Court justices. His three Supreme Court justices -- Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett -- shifted the Court hard right on issues from reproductive rights for women, to gun control, to voting rights. The six to three right-wing Supreme Court majority may be with us for some time to come, as the three Trump-appointed Justices are 53, 56 and 49 years of age respectively.
All of this is preface to the birthday being celebrated today for one of the Court's three remaining progressives: Justice Stephen Breyer who turns 83 today. Breyer hasn't decided on retiring, and says he's happy as the ranking progressive on the Court. Progressives have been urging Breyer to retire from the bench before the mid-term elections in 2022, in the event Republicans regain control of the Senate and Moscow Mitch McConnell again becomes Majority Leader and the grim reaper of President Biden's judicial appointments. Perhaps Breyer believes at age 83, he has another decade to serve on the bench, but the prospect of a Republican Senate after 2022 blocking judicial appointments from Biden in hopes of a Republican presidency in 2024 is too dangerous for our democracy.
(photo: Steven Senne / AP)
