Huge Election Issue: Judges

The unprecedented growth of the Judiciary's hand in influencing social policy is apparently gaining quite a bit of public attention.

"A total of 87 percent say a President's power to appoint Supreme Court justices is 'very important' or 'somewhat important' in their vote this November," according to yesterday's Quinnipiac poll.

"Looking at the U.S. Supreme Court and social issues, American voters narrowly disapprove 43 - 39 percent of the job the Court is doing, the lowest rating in five years of Quinnipiac University surveys on the Court and the first time the Court has received a negative score. Voters say 42 - 33 percent that the Supreme Court is moving in the wrong direction. While 33 percent of voters say the Court is "about right," 25 percent say it is too liberal and 31 percent say it is too conservative."