Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was treated for pancreatic cancer this month.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg. LA Times/AP.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was treated for pancreatic cancer this month. LA Times. She received radiation which successfully removed the tumor and requires no further treatment at this time. Ginsburg has long had health issues, including colon cancer in 1999, pancreatic cancer in 2009, a coronary stent in 2014 and broken ribs earlier this year. Ginsburg health has long been an important discussion as if she retires she will be replaced by a candidate nominated by President Trump and a GOP controlled senate. Doing so would ensure a solid 5-3 majority for conservatives with Chief Justice Roberts being a swing vote that usually votes with conservatives. 

My Comment:

Though it feels more than a little ghoulish to speculate on Ruth Bader Ginsburg's health, she's one of the most important people on the Supreme Court. She is the only thing preventing a rock solid majority for conservative justices. We would already have that now if Roberts was a more reliable judge but if/when Ginsburg retires the court should remain conservative for at least a generation. 

I have the feeling that Ginsburg is doing everything she can to hang on as long as she can. She does not want to be replaced by a conservative justice and even though her health his pretty terrible, I don't think she retires even if she is no longer unable to do her job. She will probably only leave the Supreme Court when she passes, sorry to say. 

If she does get replaced though it means that no matter what happens in the 2020 elections and beyond, there will be a check to Democrats if they manage to take back the Senate and Presidency and hang on to the house. The court could and would overturn overreach from the left at both the national and state level. It would blunt many of the Democrats worst instincts and help protect this country.

Which is why we have been hearing so many plots and schemes from the 2020 Democratic candidates to stuff or otherwise modify the court. They would do so even if the Democrats would win in 2020 or 2024 and Ginsburg had stayed around, but if she doesn't last that long it would make things even more urgent for them. 

It seems very clear that the Democrats are no longer interested in being fair and will use any victories they get to punish Republicans, males and whites. They have largely become unhinged and will do whatever they can to attack the right and Ginsburg retiring would just be more fuel to the flames. In their view none of President Trump's SCOTUS appointees are valid because they don't think he is valid and they will move to remove or neutralize the conservative justices on the court. I don't think they have really thought things through though. The American people won't support such an obvious power grab and will resist any such attempt. 

As for Ginsburg herself, I don't wish any harm to come to her, but I do wish she would resign. It's pretty clear that she isn't in any condition to continue working and she should spend whatever time she has left in retirement. It's the right thing to do for herself and her family and it's the right thing to do for the country.