Bloodless Coup

Election and First Amendment Cases Coming Before the SCOTUS

Rick Hasen has these posts on election law cases that the SCOTUS has scheduled on its calendar for the coming term. As he notes, this is one area in which the changing composition of the Court could have a major impact. While the new justices could opt to uphold recent precedents, many of those were established on 5-4 votes, and it's entirely possible that the new justices will find them (particularly aspects of them upholding campaign spending limits) inconsistent with the First Amendment.

Tony Mauro has this article on First Amendment cases that the Court will hear. Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Benificiente Uniao Do Vegetal, which deals with whether or not members of a religious group can use hoasca, a hallucinogenic tea, sounds particularly interesting. As to that case, I find it highly amusing, hysterically funny really, that the Bush administration is arguing that these believers shouldn't be allowed to use the substance because of "international treaty obligations that prohibit its import". Uh-huh. We all know just how interested in the administration is in upholding international law.