Harold Johnson and Damien Schiff in the San Fran Chronicle:

The issue before the state Supreme Court -- the Prop. 8 "standing" issue -- goes to the heart of the initiative process, its viability and future.

And the outcome should concern you, no matter where you come down on Prop. 8. If sponsors of a successful initiative -- any initiative -- aren't permitted to step up and defend it in court, even when elected officials stand back and refuse to put on a defense of their own, then the "political power inherent in the people" will have suffered a roundhouse blow.

The initiative process -- which was put in place to give voters a route around the politicians -- will be put at the mercy of politicians' whims and ideologies.