Posted on 07/03/2017 1:58:00 PM PDT by NRx
In a story that was ostensibly about new Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch's voting record, NPR legal affairs reporter Nina Totenberg dropped this tantalizing piece of news about Justice Anthony M. Kennedy's potential retirement:
"Kennedy may also have thought it best to ensure that there is a full complement of nine justices for at least a year. He could even have been put off by President Trump's tweets about the judiciary.
But it is unlikely that Kennedy will remain on the court for the full four years of the Trump presidency. While he long ago hired his law clerks for the coming term, he has not done so for the following term (beginning Oct. 2018), and has let applicants for those positions know he is considering retirement."
That's called burying the lead. And it's a piece of news that, especially after a tough first six months of the Trump administration, Republicans will be very, very happy to see.
It's not terribly surprising that Kennedy would consider retirement — indeed, there was some thought he could even have announced it last week, when the court's term ended — but this looks like a pretty good indicator that it will come at some point in President Trump's first term. If Kennedy is considering retiring in 2018, is he really going to stick it out until 2021, when he will be 84 years old? That seems even more unlikely now than it did before.
The upshot? It would mean that Democrats wouldn't have a chance to unseat Trump before the next big Supreme Court vacancy comes along. And not only that, but it would seem they may not even have a chance to stop it the other way: with a Senate majority...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
It would be great to have Kennedy retire, but I’ll believe it when he actually makes the announcement.
I’d be much happier to hear that Kagan, Sotomayor, and Ginsberg were leaving the court.
If I recall correctly, it was Kennedy who pronounced he would never leave the Court while Obama was in office.
Those 3 should never have been confirmed in the first place IMHO.
Likewise.
RBG is 84 years old and weak, and if 81 year old Kennedy retires in the next year that is likely to bring President Trump to at least three nominees. I pray that he will get them all right. The Ctrl-Left never misses because most socialist judicial activists are easy to spot, but we sometimes choose a stealth liberal. Thank God President Trump is keeping his word on this important topic and seems to have gotten the first one right.
I’d like to see 69 year old Thomas and perhaps 67 year old Alito retire too, to guarantee that a patriotic American will nominate their replacements.
Breyer is 79, but I’m pretty confident he will not retire - he’s too political.
Then later, even if it has to be in Trumps' second term, Stevens and/or Breyer. Oh, would that be fun.
Thomas has indicated several times he’d like to retire.
“Burying the lead”???????
Doesn’t the compost have any competent editors anymore?
“Bury the lede”
He’ll wait until the 3rd year and then announce. That will leave the left an opportunity to block until after the next presidential election. Bet on it.
Any chance he can take Ginsburg with him?
The Rats won’t want any Trump judge appointed in the last year of his first term.
Ginsberg will only leave feet first...i.e. on a stretcher or a box.
But if Trump gets to replace both Kennedy and Ginsburg, I don’t care what else he does in office, I’ll be happy.
With the “moderate” Kennedy on board, the left has nothing to worry about.
Kennedy and Ginsburg going.
A double play.
The first two are too young to retire, and Ruth Buzzi will probably croak on the bench and would rather risk doing so than leave a vacancy for Trump.
>>That will leave the left an opportunity to block until after the next presidential election. Bet on it.
They can’t block until after the next election unless the DEMS take the senate FIRST, i.e. in 2018 and thats pretty unlikely.
Agree
Yes, even Blind Tony finds a nut every term or two
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