Bingo! Great post.
That about sums up the situation. The Constitution as a contract between the American people and America's governing elites means nothing, apart from the philosophical notion of "absolute values", of "truth" in the traditional Western conception. A "good", sober man on the left can fully embrace Constitutional law, swear to uphold it, yet intend to change every word in the document, and be entirely consistent and logical within his own world view. The Constitution "has always been a living, breathing document" he intones, invoking some mystic reference intended to remind one of our Founding Fathers, huddled over a large table with quills in hand. What he intends, of course, is something entirely different
I've learned to temper my deep seated feelings and beliefs, because one can only cry "wolf" so many times before the populace is lulled to sleep. However, there is so much at stake now, an even if a conservative wins this election or the next, this battle, it's unclear if the philosophical "war" is moving towards truth and Constitutional justice.
After all, the majority of Justices on the current Supreme court were appointed by men who obstensively were conservative, and who supported Judicial constructionists, rather than activists. Yet, the Supreme Court remains at least a 5-4 activist Court, willing to create "rights" not recognized by the Constitution, not agreed upon by the people, nor sanctioned by God as defined in most major religions. In effect, the Supreme's and the leftist Democrats intend to change the very premises upon which our Democratic society was founded; they'll even challege the very notion of "truth" itself.
And of course, the Democrats have used all means, extra-Constitutional or otherwise, to guarantee that no conservative/constructionist ever sits on that Court again, as we have seen in their blocking of Bush's Judicial nominations in spite of a GOP majority in the Senate. They simply will not ceded their power, regardless of what means they need to take to sustain it. Laws and elections mean nothing. The moment Kerry takes office, and the Senate moves into Democrat hands, the Democrats will rewrite the rules to prohibit filabusters in the nominating process. Kerry's appointments will move through the Senate in less than a week.
The problem I fear, as much as Nuclear detonation at a most inappropriate place, in a most inopportune moment, is that the political left will rewrite the "rules" which have glued this nation together for over 200 years. As evident by Gores challenge to the very notion of the "ballot", and Kerry's preemptatory actions to expand this to all 50 states, I fear that the next Democrat in office will make it impossible for anyone other than a Democrat of their paticular philosophical persuation, to ever win office again.
Think "California" wrought national, with every election challenged, 125% of the electorate voting, and a "one party state" similar to the Mexican "PRI" party ruling in American for 100 years to come, and you'll have a window upon my nightmare.
But, then again, I'm not an alarmist.
SFS