THE SUPREMES

You know that the Supreme Court of the United States is the final interpreter of the Constitution relative to cases brought before it.    There are nine justices on this court.  According to the Constitution they are appointed by the President with the "advice and consent" of the U.S. Senate.  Justices are appointed for life -  they serve until they retire or die.

Currently there are only eight justices seated on the court due to the death of Antonin Scalia last February.   BHO nominated a judge named Merrick Garland in May but the Senate has refused to interview the candidate much less consent to his appointment.  The Republican controlled Senate wants to wait for the newly elected President to nominate someone instead of the outgoing President.  If HRC is elected President in November, she will likely re-appoint the same man.

Understand, that in a general sense Republicans (Conservatives) believe in a strict interpretation of the Constitution and Democrats (Liberals) in a more loose and changeable interpretation.  Naturally, presidents select judges that tend to think they way they do.

Supreme Court appointments are one of the most important and lasting duties of the President.  The average length of time a judge sits on that court is probably about 15 years.  This makes the selection of a President all the more important.
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