Well, I suppose that, 2 yrs from now, when a 14 yr old girl is raped by her sicko father or stepfather and gotten pregnant, and can't get even a first trimester abortion OR has to carry the baby to term and keep it, BECAUSE under federal law any doctor in this land is branded a common criminal for performing ANY abortion and fined $10,000 and sent to prison for 5 yrs, (as is now law in South Dakota), we'll see if Dobson has had any power.
That note read: "You have 2 yrs to overturn Roe, and make the South Dakota law the law of the land, or you will pay the price." Some people, like myself, think the SD law is huge blessing in disguise for the pro-Roe squad, because it is SO draconian there is no realistic way even a moderate conservative on the Court would uphold it, even if he is pro-life, because public opinion is overwhlemingly shades of gray on this. If the SD law were less harsh, it would be a better tool to begin dismantling Roe bit by bit. But this is so harsh that when this case is voted on next yr, if the SD law is the one in question, it might make it easier to uphold Roe. If anyone BUT Alito and Roberts were on the Court, the "shades of gray" forces (the ones of prudence and common sense) might win.
But not with political nutjobs like Dobson behind the curtain. And if you think it;s only notes, you're nuts. How much money did FOTF contribute to the Alito effort?
If you think Bush ( or his appontees) ignores these people when big political questions come up, consider this: in 2003 Israel had captured a major Palestinian suspect (forgot who) and Sharon personally wanted to execute him but changed his mind after Bush informed him of concerns over a new Palestinian intifada. Sharon did an about face and announced the guy would get the harshest punishment without being executed. The Christian Right went ballistic, and bombarded the White House with 100,000 emails in the 24 hrs after this news hit the headlines. Dobson was right in the thick of the fray. At the end of those 24 hrs, Sharon apparently had second thoughts. He had the guy executed a couple weeks later. And the White House said absolutely nothing.
I found this out from Jimmy Carter's brand new book, "Our Endangered Values." Carter, a Democrat but the REAL Christian (not Bush.) Check it out everybody. You will read things that chill your blood. I thought I knew a lot about these people, but Carter of course has political access to people we don't. He can hear stories 2nd hand. Whatever he did during his Administration (and he made a LOT of frig-ups), it is settled historical fact by now of his genune human rights concerns, and how he became a greater man after he left office. Personally, I'd trust the Nobel Peace Prize winner, thank you.
After reading this, if any of you think that Alito and Roberts are just the latest in a long tradition of conservative appointees to SCOTUS who run into the same brick wall of Precident and decide to uphold Roe or civil rights laws becuase of the effect it would have on the country if precident of so long were overturned, (no matter how they personally feel ), think again. These guys really WILL be different. I can easily see in the month before the vote on this upcoming abortion case, a National Month of Prayer, a "get out the vote" campaign where 100,000 emails A DAY are sent to the White House for 30 days asking Bush to keep a close watch on the Court personally (hey, after 33 yrs of slavering to overturn Roe, and maybe affirmative action and a few other civil rights laws as well, being so close and having this unique chance, do you think they'll sit back and wait for the Court to vote? HELL NO!) Reading articles in Newsweek this week on this subject make me cringe, becuase they're still stuck on the different planet we used to be. They haven't gotten the Picture yet that things have changed.
Hey, I'm all for limiting some abortion but not for turning America back to the reproductive Stone Age, and thus begging Cina and India to take up our moral and technological lead where we dropped it in the fields of blind ideology. It would have huge health repercussions as well. We all know that for people like Dobson (and his hugely influencial circle of churches) for many it does not end with abortion. Many don't like any kind of birth control either, and are the ones behind the recent pharmancy crap.)
Bottom line: I can't recall the last time the leader of a powerful special interest group insisted on reading a letter personally written to him by a Supreme Court Justice on the air. Just that very act suggests a level of political good-ol-boyship that is better reserved for the military or the VP and his hunting buddies.
If you're friends from way back, fine. But if that "friendship" is for a political purpose....