Sandra Day O'Connor: Admits Supreme Court Made a Mistake in Bush v. Gore

Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the key deciding vote in the 2000 presidential election case Bush v. Gore that installed George W. Bush as the 43rd president, now thinks she made a mistake.

In an interview to the Chicago Herald Tribune, O'Connor wonders whether the Court should have even taken up the case to begin with: "It took the case and decided it at a time when it was still a big election issue. Maybe the Court should have said, 'We're not going to take it, goodbye.'" The case was O'Connor's most controversial in her 25 years at the bench.

She was known as the Court's swing vote during her tenure, but four other justices also voted to install President George W. Bush. The Supreme Court felt public pressure to act on the case according to O'Connor despite clear mandates and facts: "It turned out the election authorities in Florida hadn't done a real good job there and kind of messed it up. And probably the Supreme Court added to the problem at the end of the day."

What do you think about O'Connor's statements? Should the Supreme Court have taken up the case? Does her admission that they may have made a mistake reduce the court's standing in your opinion?

What would you have done if you were deciding Bush v Gore? Discuss with me below or on Twitter @shwetika