Bob Franken: The Politician Justices

There is a silver lining here: It enlightens anyone who believes that all those who comprise the judicial branch of our federal government, particularly the nine justices of the Supreme Court, exist on some pedestal. The myth is that their jurisprudence is somehow removed from the self-promoting deceptions of the riffraff who scurry through the sewers of the executive and legislative branches. It is not -- at least, not all of it.

Even the nine at the top of the heap are not elevated above those lowlifes. Their robes are no shield from petty politics. Once again, we are reminded of that with t...