If you needed any more reason to vote Kerry November 2nd, it's this: Justice Rehnquist just went under the knife for thyroid cancer surgery. This is not the first cancer surgery for sitting Justices on this court: Justice Ginsberg underwent colon cancer surgery in 1999, and Justice O'Connor had breast cancer surgery in 1988. However, it does serve to underline just how fragile the current sitting Justices are. Bush has suggested that he will appoint Justices to the Supreme Court who sees the world his way...and as I pointed out in an earlier post, it would only take one moderate dying or retiring to allow Bush to have the 5-4 majority he desires to overturn Roe v. Wade. And as I also pointed out, 30 out of 50 states have laws on the books that would mean abortion would instantly become a crime the moment Roe v. Wade was overturned.

However, take heart: there have been some pretty impressive conservative voices out there who have come out and said that they are voting for Kerry (sometimes holding their nose) because they cannot stand what Bush has done to this country. Show this to conservative Bush fans. Show them that the little knot in their stomach is their doubt about Bush, and whether or not he and this country is on the right track or not.

Anyway, I will repost my endorsements next Monday, and when I do, I will tell you this about Proposition 71: I have changed my mind. Blame it on my being an old softy and seeing the commercial with Christopher Reeve, but even though I still have a lot of distaste for giving Big Pharma corporate welfare, I cannot say no to this effort. The best thing we can do for advancing medical progress and breaking the Fundie Christian shackles placed on research is to vote Kerry in. The next best thing we can do is suck it down and vote for this bond measure. Hey, we could go further in debt for worse things.

Finally, one scary thought to tuck y'all into bed with...the ballot going before Ohioans this time is a hideous flashback to the notorious butterfly ballot, but only more confusing this time. See for yourself. ...shudder...