Justice Stevens; Nuclear Policy; Financial Hearings

The announcement of Justice John Paul Stevens' retirement will set off a political battle of immense proportions. Will it be a referendum on Obamacare as states' Attorneys General attempt to sue on constitutional grounds? Will it be a test of merits of the potential candidates or just another political throw-down? The new nuclear posture of the US: Bob says it's a good precedent, and justifies Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. Tony thinks it's absurd on its face that we wouldn't retaliate for biological warfare with nukes. And he believes that China's the problem, not Russia. As to the financial hearings this week, Tony likens Bob Rubin's “sorrow” to the walrus before eating the oysters. But he says this is a two-part show: a morality play and a search for the cause of the breakdown. (Arianna Huffington is away.)

Banner image: Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens arrives for a reception honoring Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at the White House August 12, 2009 in Washington, DC. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images