Save the Court

The REAL reason this election is so important is the Supreme Court nominations.

The Supreme Court is once again making news by failing to protect the rights of everyday Americans. This should put some fire in the belly of everyone who wants to make sure the Court doesn't continue down its rightward path.

You can help make a difference: Click here to add your name to People For the American Way’s Save The Court campaign.

Headline number one: the top story on The New York Times yesterday was the Supreme Court's decision to side with Republican lawmakers in Indiana, making it far more difficult for thousands of Americans -- particularly the elderly, the young, and the poor -- to vote. All to guard against "in-person voter fraud," of which -- here's the kicker -- there has not been a single reported case in the history of the state. It’s no accident, as commentators have noted, that the constituencies most affected are ones that traditionally vote Democratic and that support for Indiana’s restrictive law came from Republicans in the state legislature. That’s just not fair. Justices should clear the path to the ballot box for voters, not help block the way... Democracy only works when all eligible voters can actually cast a ballot.

Headline number two: last Wednesday came word that Republican senators, in a rare opportunity to actually undo harm done by the Supreme Court, had blocked a legislative attempt to correct last year’s terrible Supreme Court decision that made it harder for workers to seek justice for pay discrimination. In that case, the Court overturned a jury verdict to compensate Lilly Ledbetter, a Goodyear Tire Co. factory worker, for the years that she was paid far less than men doing the same work. The decision to deny Ledbetter justice for the discrimination she'd suffered was authored by none other than Justice Samuel Alito, one of Bush's ultraconservative nominees. It's a sad example of how the Court's recent rightward turn has led it to protect the rights of big business over those of everyday working Americans.

These are sad and frustrating stories. But they're important to share because they are clear evidence of how important the Court is to our everyday lives -- and how crucial it is to prevent any more ultraconservatives from joining the Court.

That task will fall to all of us, this November. Please add your name to the campaign to Save the Court -- and tell your friends and family to do the same.