Remember Deep Throat's dictum in All The President's Men? "Follow the money!"

That's what's really behind every Supreme Court fight. Why is it that abortion becomes the number-one criterion for determining whether or not a prospective justice is qualified for the bench...rather than intellect, judicial temperament, scholarship, rigorous analytical powers, or any of the other qualities one might want in someone who occupies such a weighty position?

It's because a Supreme Court opening is the greatest opportunity of all to whip up a frenzy among the respective bases, who then reach reflexively for their checkbooks. It's high-stakes bingo time, folks. Lest we forget, the nominee is ultimately confirmed by politicians. Herein we see both the genius and the Achilles heel of the system designed by the Founding Fathers.

The Achilles heel is that we place so much importance on one subject when a Justice, during his or her career, will wield awesome authority to shape our country and its laws as they pertain to a whole raft of issues.

The genius is that the system encourages the nomination of less extreme candidates, because the President fears the loss of face and prestige if his nominee is rejected, particularly when his own party holds the majority in the Senate.

The best part is that it's bound to be a circus, and we'll all have front-row seats at center ring.