Politics

WASHINGTON - The winner of the McCain-Obama showdown in November may have the task of replacing two or three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Justices John Paul Stevens, 88, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75, are considered likely to retire from the court within the next four years. Justice David Souter, 68, is reported to be eager to return to his New Hampshire home. The recent Supreme Court ruling that detainees at Guantanamo Bay may not be held indefinitely without court review illustrates the presidential candidates' different philosophies on national security and terrorism. Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, called the ruling "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country." Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, praised it as "an important step toward re-establishing our credibility as a nation committed to the rule of law." The case represents just one of the issues swirling around campaign discussions about the direction of the Supreme Court. Other differences include questions of corporate conduct and the emotionally charged right to abortion as defined by the 1973 case Roe vs. Wade.

President Bush and Congress have settled their differences on terrorist surveillance and Iraq war money. Now attention turns to a potential housing rescue, probably the last major initiative with any chance of passing before lawmakers scatter to campaign for re-election. Bush has threatened a veto. But lawmakers in both parties say the housing legislation is a political imperative, and negotiators see the makings of a summertime bargain. For one, the measure contains elements that Bush long has demanded. They include modernizing the Depression-era Federal Housing Administration and creating a new regulator for the government-sponsored mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Then there is the political reality for the president: Many Republicans are facing a darkening re-election outlook amid tough economic times and are reluctant to oppose a measure intended to address the crux of the financial crisis.