This morning I was listening to NPR (as you do), and heard a story about a speech given by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor yesterday. In it, she takes aim at the many attacks that have been occuring towards the judiciary over recent years. Specifically she is concerned about the focus of possible retaliation that could be directed towards the judiciary when decisions are made that are not supported by an elected official. A loose connection is also made towards how interference with the judiciary could lead to dictatorship, if that path was chosen to be followed.
You can hear the story at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5255712
I'm a little surprised that Justice O'Connor made these comments during her speech, however I am glad that she said it. The above story starts by saying that Justice's opinions (personal) are rarely shared, and I am comforted that such a well respected Justice has taken a strong stand on the attacks directed towards her fellow (former-)Justices, and the many other judges in the country. Justice O'Connor gets it. Sadly, she's not there anymore.