No Retirement Announcements at High Court

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5101758,00.html

No Retirement Announcements at High Court

Monday June 27, 2005 4:16 PM


AP Photo VAKW103

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court ended its term Monday with no retirement announcements from any justices. A retirement could come later, however, in a letter to the president or press release.

In court, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist struggled to talk and thanked court employees for their work over the past year before he adjourned the term.

Justices ruled in several major cases, including Ten Commandments appeals from Texas and Kentucky and a case involving illegal online swapping of songs and movies.

Rehnquist, 80, handled one of the Ten Commandment cases and had to clear his throat several times. He breathed heavily and kept the announcement brief. The chief justice has thyroid cancer and a trachea tube to help him breathe.

<</SNIP>>

[Spazito]

1. The bush admin is just waiting for the 'right' moment to release

the 'news' of Rehnquist, preferably when a BIG diversion is needed like when the photos and videos of the torture at Abu Graib are made public.

[Roland99]

2. Ayup...gotta let these decisions make the news rounds.

Then, post-Propagandist speech tomorrow night when something bad happens, release the retirement news.

[Walt Starr]

5. Not necessarily. The justices have control over when announcements

of retirement are made, not the president. If Rhenquist has sent his retirement announcement, they cannot wait to read it publicly.

That said, it is quite possible that both Rhenquist and O'Connor see that Bush is more than they bargained for and both could be waiting until he has expended every last bit of political capital in order to insure a total whack job does not take over the court. Enven they might be a bit nervous about the possibilities from this asshat.

[Algorem]

3. Ha-ha!

[Massacure]

4. Did they release the file sharing ruling yet? What happened?

</massacure bites his fingernails>

[sabra]

6. Web file-sharing sites may be sued, justices rule

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8375955/

[maxsolomon]

7. rehnquist will die in office

he doesn't want bush to get a pick. if you could be cryogenically frozen & remain an active judge, he'd do it.

go rehnquist!

[cally]

8. High Court Adjourns with no retirements

Just announced on CNN...I'll look for a link.

On edit: Here's a link. I only found it on Fox, sorry. :eyes: I'll post a CNN link when it is posted.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160819,00.html

[Goldmund]

9. Something's up here.

The dude literally can hardly speak.

[ET Awful]

10. That ought to really chap neocon hide eh?

If there's no retirement, there's no appointment to use as a political crowbar.

[CaliTeacher]

11. after '06?

Yeah, they'll probably try and wait until after the elections.

[Oscar Trout]

12. Appointments?

What about Sandy Day O'Connor? A rumor has been going aroung she will/would like to step down.

[ET Awful]

14. "adjourns with no retirements" means the session has ended

and no one has retired.

No, not even Sandra Day O'Connor.

[Oscar Trout]

13. Appointments?

What about Sandy Day O'Connor? A rumor has been going around she will/would like to step down.

[jobycom]

15. You get the feeling that even the cons don't want Bush to appoint?

I wonder if O'Connor and Rehnquist are looking at Ted Olson and Alberto Gonzales and John Ashcroft, and saying "I can hang on a few more years." I mean, partisan ideology is one thing, but a complete lack of ability transcends party lines. I can't imagine O'Connor or Rehnquist wanting another Clarence Thomas on the court.

[Gemini Cat]

17. I've wondered that as well.

I can't imagine Rehnquist being that honourable however.

[cally]

16. This means they may wait until next year

which is before the next congressional elections but during campaign season. It would be difficult to appoint a RW fundie to appease the religious right and highlight the Repub ties to the fundies.

I'm thrilled by this delay. :bounce:

[ursacorwin]

18. atrios says

rumors are that there will be some announcement...o'connor and r'quist both.

we'll see, i guess.

[cally]

21. Ouch...that would be horrible

CNN is acting like a retirement will occur although they are not announcing that. Conservatives are still gearing up for a fight. Maybe a retirement will occur soon. :cry:

[Gothmog]

19. May announce later

I would not be surprised at a later announcement.

[MichiganVote]

20. I agree. Not going to announce today b/f Bushie boy's speechie

[zara]

22. Too hard to give up the power... and for what?

Rehnquist (and all SC justices) are appointed for life and have tremendous power. Giving up that power has been extremely hard. Moreover, giving it up to fight cancer? Isn't that akin of giving up what you live for (in his case for almost four decades), in order to ...have nothing to do but die? Well, I overstate obviously, but Rehnq lives for creating the law in a conservative way. Why not die on the bench, or stay as long as possible? Basically most recent justices have done just that. Stuck around as long as they possibly could. Last early retirement was Warren Burger, no? And virtually all supreme court justices think to have the truly unique and valuable, and irreplaceable voice. Why else the plethora of consenting and dissenting opinions in part?

[Rainscents]

23. I wonder what is going on with SC... interesting.

[wuushew]

24. Close to 50 SCOTUS Justices have died in office

Rhenquist would not be setting any new precident

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/L/Li/List_of_Justices_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States.htm

[4_Legs_Good]

25. WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!! Way to hang in there!!!!

Ahhhh, I'm sooo excited about this. Way to go Rhenquist! Now get better and survive 2 more years and we may well make it out of this thing alive.

Whew!!!

david