Why, no matter how much his "bipartisanship" pisses us off, it was important for Obama to win this election

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has pancreatic cancer:

Ginsburg, 75, has been a justice since 1993. She has been increasingly vocal in recent years about the court's more conservative stances, especially after the appointments made by President George W. Bush.

Pancreatic cancer is often deadly, although the court said doctors apparently found Ginsburg's growth at an early stage.

In 1999, she had colon cancer surgery, underwent radiation and chemotherapy, and never missed a day on the bench. Statistics suggest this could be a tougher fight.

Ginsburg underwent the surgery at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She will remain in the hospital for seven to 10 days, said her surgeon, Dr. Murray Brennan, according to the court. The justices hold their next private conference on Feb. 20 and return to the bench from their winter break on Feb. 23.

President Barack Obama expressed hope for her speedy recovery, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday, and offered his thoughts and prayers.

And so do we. Justice Ginsburg is one of only four remaining justices with a heart and a soul. We wish her a full recovery, but this should be a reminder that this is one reason why elections are important.