President George W. Bush has already made history. He was president during Sept. 11, he started one of the most controversial wars in United States history and spent more money and racked up one of the biggest budget deficits in this country’s history.

He also is going to make history that will outlast his presidency. Bush will have not one, but two opportunities to nominate judges to the Supreme Court.

Before he went on vacation at the end of the summer, Bush nominated Judge John Roberts to succeed Sandra Day O’Connor. When Chief Justice William Rehnquist passed away, Bush nominated Roberts to Chief Justice.

This nomination has been proclaimed World War III, a fierce battle between the right and the left. Yet, this is more than just a political battle between two political parties.

When someone is confirmed to be a Supreme Court justice, it is a lifetime position. With Roberts being so young, he will likely be there for a while. Roberts is also a Catholic and a conservative who worked under President Reagan and the first President Bush. Roberts also has a wife who is part of a pro-life group.

Roberts has said that Roe v. Wade is the settled land of the law and that he will not let his religious ideals conflict with his decisions from the bench if he is confirmed. But when questioned by Democrats during the confirmation hearings about issues such as abortion, he declined to answer.

If he is so sure of his answers and he has no hidden agenda, then he should answer the questions asked of him, especially ones about issues like abortion that could affect the country.

I understand that if he were to come out and say that he has no hidden agenda toward abortion and wishes it would remain legal, he would upset the religious right which is part of his base.

If he truly does not have an issue with abortion being legal, however, then he should just come out and say it. He would be confirmed at a faster rate and he would be considered a hero because he would be a person who brought America together when the two political sides do all they can to tear the people apart.

Roberts is going to be confirmed, whether you want him to be or not. He is not a right wing wacko and even if he was, the Democrats do not have the votes to deny him. All the Democrats can do is filibuster him which is basically just a delaying process.

When Roberts is confirmed, do not be surprised if ideals that liberals uphold in high regard are taken away.

Before we talk about what will happen when Roe v. Wade is overturned, we need to understand what it says. If the abortion issue is overturned at a federal level, it then will go to individual states and they will decide if abortion is legal or illegal in that state. So if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion will more than likely stay legal in blue states such as California. But in red states such as Texas, women will be denied the opportunity to have an abortion unless the pregnancy itself is a threat to the mother.

Being liberal, it pains me to say this, but abortion will likely be overturned. However, I blame Democrats just as much as I blame Republicans. I do not expect Republicans to devote most of their time and energy to topics that are vital to this country such as how to get out of Iraq or what to do with the federal deficit.

I expect more from democrats, however. Frankly I have been disappointed in them since Clinton left office. If Democratic leaders were so concerned about the direction this country is going, then they should have the guts to stand up and say something about it. Watching Bush push John Kerry around was like watching a bully take away a kid’s glasses.

If Democratic voters were so concerned about this happening, why did they not get out in force to vote for John Kerry? I had the vision to know this was coming and at the time I was only 19. Believe me, I was not fond of John Kerry by any stretch of the imagination but I would rather have him over Bush. This just shows that there was a difference between the two candidates and there were important issues to vote for.

This country has been around for over 200 years and it will be around after Bush leaves office. It will not be the same, however. I guarantee we will have a huge national debt, we will still be in Iraq and we will not have the same liberties we once had. The U.S. is in a very vital stage right now with everything it is going through. Let’s hope we make it out like Americans and not end up like the citizens of 1984.

Justin Satzman is a junior broadcast journalism major.