"The election was dragged into the courts by the Gore people. We did not go looking for trouble."

So said Antonin Scalia yesterday. Once the case had been set in motion, the Supreme Court had to take it, he said:

"The issue was whether Florida's Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court [would decide the election.] What did you expect us to do? Turn the case down because it wasn't important enough?"

I wonder if Scalia approves of the bracketed language! I should think he'd want something more like "The issue was whether Florida's Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court [would resolve the legal questions raised by Gore's challenge]." He's right, isn't he? Once the Florida courts started interpreting their way toward upsetting the result, the Supreme Court couldn't sit by passively.

UPDATE: If you've arrived here from DailyKos and are looking for my answer to Armando, go here.