According to reporting by Politico, a draft of a decision by the US Supreme Court does away with the constitutional right of a women to have an abortion which has been in affect for 49 years. The court was expected to affirm a Mississippi law which banned abortion in the state after 15 months of pregnancy.  

However, according to Politico, the first draft of the court’s decision in the Mississippian case went dramatically further than that.  The leaked draft states that the right to have an abortion is not protected by the constitution.  That means that states can pass laws to restrict abortions in their territory in any manner they wish or ban the practice entirely if they choose.

Based on what has been reported it is unlikely that Chief Justice Roberts voted with the other conservatives on this ruling. That means that it was a 5-4 decision with Justices Thomas and Alito along Trump appointees Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett in the majority.  (Everyone should recall the despicable manner in which two of those three Trump appointees where added to the court.

It is highly unusual for Supreme Court decisions to be leaked to the public in this manner and court experts are describing this decision in earthquake proportions and unprecedented in its reversal of a precedent which has been previously tested many times. However, the decision will not become official until it formally announced by the Court, probably in June.

The effects of this decision are highly predictable.  26 States are now very likely to possibly highly restrictive abortion laws. 23 Red states have already passed anti-abortion laws which which have provisions which will make them active the moment this decision is formally announced. Some states have gone so far as to try to prevent their citizens from having abortions in other states. Many women cannot afford leave their jobs and travel perhaps hundreds of miles to have the procedure.  Expect dangerous illegal abortions to rise.

The Christian Right and conservatives will be rejoicing nationwide, but I am predicting that this decision will come back to haunt the Republican Party for years to come,perhaps starting with the coming mid-term elections. 

With inflation burning a hole in everyone’s pocketbook the Republicans have been predicted to take control of the House of Representatives by a safe margin while the Senate remains a toss-up. Polls have shown that Republicans are much more enthused about voting in the mid-term elections than Democrats.  I predict that is about to change. 

In my experience, political parties flounder when when the effects of their leadership moves the country too far to the left or the right.  The citizens then rise up and demand that an equilibrium be restored.  In my opinion this is one of those times.  

The latest Pew Research Center survey conducted April 5 to 11, a 59% majority of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 39% think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. The Supreme Court has sided with the minority.  More Importantly a large majority of women along with their male supporters will be incensed by this ruling and be extremely motivated to vote in the next elections.

Every one not living under a rock knows how the Supreme Court majority responsible for this decision was formed by Trump, Mitch McConnell and oath er political leaders in Congress and who should be held accountable in the ballot box. Republicans have been planning and scheming for years in order to achieve this victory, and now they are going to pay for it.

Cajun    5/2/2022