An intersting sidenote: I recently read a book by conservative columnist Dinesh D'Souza. He wrote that if we get enough judges through, they can declare progressive income taxation a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. This would mandate a flat income tax (if there were an income tax at all).
Thoughts?
Now you talk about a body that should be elected "by the states", the Supreme Court could be constituted as a body with rotating membership, with each state sending in one justice for one year as it's turn came up.
Now, should we then take a justice out and shoot him after his term is up? I don't know. Haven't thought that one through. Judges are a little different than Senators after all. They all wear the same color clothes to work for one thing.