Justice Kennedy May Soon Find Himself Disappointed And His Legacy Undermined

For four decades, the Supreme Court has been like a balance board, tilting this way and that. And, while it has moved more and more to the right with each reset, the center has held.

This term, and for the foreseeable future, however, the board looks more like a slide.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement this week, may feel secure in his legacy. But Justice Sandra Day O'Connor did, too, only to be disappointed.

In the early 2000s, Justice O'Connor sat at the center of the court alongside Justice Kennedy. When she retired, she thought her legacy was secure – including the protection of women's rights, abortion rights and the ability of the legislative branch of the government to regulate campaign money in order to prevent