Here are two facts that seem, on their face, unrelated:

1. Speculation is ramping up about which Supreme Court justices might die or retire this year, and who could replace them.

2. “American Idol” is still the top rated show in America.

I think you see where I’m going with this: The justices should beat Simon Cowell to death with their gavels.

If that’s not practical, we could hold open auditions and let viewers at home decide who advances to the nation’s highest bench, under the theory we couldn’t do much worse than the Court’s current membership.

Justice mortality is a serious topic, one that would also make an excellent name for a Bond girl. Consider this recent quote from U.S. Senator Jim Bunning (R-You Kidding Me), who told reporters in February – I swear he really said this – that “Ruth Bader Ginsburg… has cancer… nine months is the longest anyone [with that kind of cancer] would live.” Read the rest of this entry »