If you're following the news coverage on today's primary elections in Florida, you've likely noticed that the subprime mortgage crisis is one of the big issues for voters in the Sunshine State. According to the Washington Post, Florida has the third highest foreclosure rate in the nation. Of course, Florida's crisis is reflected in spiking foreclosure rates across the country that have spooked financial markets around the world.

When Associate Justice Clarence Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court, back in 1991, his supporters wove a narrative about him that emphasized his character, intelligence and education, instead of more traditional qualifications such as experience before the Court or on the bench. Thomas had only been a judge for 18 months before the nomination, and had run two federal agencies and worked as a Congressional aide before that.