The Supreme Court sneaks into the debate

Well, it’s a start.  There were a few words about the United States Supreme Court during one of the answers in this evening’s vice presidential debate, but no question devoted to the topic.  So once more, a debate has come and gone without the candidates being asked specifically about what could be the most important decision any president can make: whom he would nominate to serve on the Supreme Court.

But this is no time to give up.  There still are two more debates.  The next one is in a “town hall” format, but moderator Candy Crowley is free to ask her own follow-up questions.  Perhaps she’ll follow up on the brief comments about the Court this evening.  The final debate is supposed to deal primarily with foreign policy – but so did the first case heard by the Supreme Court this term.  So there’s plenty of reason to ask the question then, too.

If you’d like to join us in asking the moderators to ask the candidates about the Supreme Court, there is contact information in this previous post to this Blog.

No luck with Jim Lehrer, Maybe Martha Raddatz will do better

           Unfortunately, moderator Jim Lehrer did not ask the presidential candidates about the Supreme Court during tonight's debate – in spite of the high stakes and the strong public interest, as is discussed in the previous post to this Blog.  Yes, the candidates discussed important issues and what they would do over the next four years.  But a change in even one Supreme Court justice could change America for decades.

            But there are three more chances, starting with the vice presidential debate on October 11.  So please ask moderator Martha Raddatz to press the vice presidential candidates on this issue.  You can contact her at Martha.raddatz@abcnews.com or tweet her @martharaddatz

Ask the moderators to ask the candidates: What about the Supreme Court?

            As the United States Supreme Court begins its new term, and with the first presidential candidates’ debate scheduled for tomorrow night, the Alliance for Justice is urging the moderators of the debates to press the candidates for answers about the kinds of people they would nominate to the Court.

            “Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the percentage of cases in which decisions are reached by a vote of 5 to 4 is the highest in history,” AFJ President Nan Aron wrote in the letter, sent to moderators Jim Lehrer, Martha Raddatz, Candy Crowley and Bob Schieffer on Oct. 1.  “So even if he fills only one vacancy, the next president may change the direction of the court, and America, for generations.”

But we can’t do it alone.  We’d like your help.  Please join us in asking the debate moderators to ask the candidates about the Supreme Court.

At the end of this post, we’ve included the email addresses and Twitter handles of the moderators for the three presidential and one vice presidential debate.  Please send each a nice note; and a nice tweet.  Explain why the direction of the Supreme Court is important to you, and ask them to ask the candidates about who they would put on the court.

The stakes couldn’t be higher.  As Nan Aron points out:

“The term underway now may well see the culmination of a 40-year campaign on behalf of big business to put its interests ahead of those of labor and consumers.  Over several terms the court majority has put the thumb of big business on the scales of justice, repeatedly voting to roll back protections for workers and consumers.  Over and over, these were 5 to 4 votes.”

There’s more about our letter to the debate moderators, and the stakes, in our press release.

How to contact the debate moderators:

First presidential debate, Oct 3: Jim Lehrer: Jlehrer@newshour.org; @newshour

Vice presidential debate, Oct 11: Martha Raddatz: Martha.raddatz@abcnews.com @martharaddatz

Second presidential debate, Oct. 16: Candy Crowley: candy.crowley@turner.com; @crowleyCNN

Third presidential debate, Oct. 22: Bob Schieffer: bsc@cbsnews.com; @bobschieffer