The cult of secrecy has no place in a government of, by, and for the people.
Judicial mystique is for the dark ages.
Unlike the judiciaries in 47 states, the highest court in the land still refuses to allow its hearings to be televised. Thanks to snooty traditions, unbridled egos, and specious fears, the Supreme Court's nine crusty justices remain secluded members of the nation's most inaccessible branch of government. Brian Lamb, pioneering chairman of the C-SPAN public affairs network, asked the court last week for permission to broadcast Texas Gov. George W. Bush's appeal of Florida's selective manual recounts of machine ballots. Despite the obvious educational and civic benefits, the court tersely rejected C-SPAN's request. So Bush's case will be heard this Friday, but only an exclusive clique of the legal and media elite will witness it.