O'Connor Says She Would've Stayed Longer

AP via SFGate ^ | 2/4/7

[Bahbah]

"I wasn't sure I should do it," she said. "It was so out of my field of judging. I don't know anything about the military."

Not very much about judging either, at least at the Consitutional level.

[centurion316]

who is still physically and mentally fit

Physically perhaps, but mentally, no. Unless you consider her decision to resign, the best thing she's done in years.

[digger48]

One of the rare times in recent years that she HAS made the right decision.

[sgtyork]

The country really hasn't been the same since she stepped down.

Oh why Oh why do these people think they are so indispensable?

[Always Right]

One small step for a woman, one large step for mankind. Thank you Sandra for quitting when you did.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

A sample headline from 2003:

O'Connor: U.S. must rely on foreign law; Justice says, 'The impressions we create in this world are important'

I don't miss her one tiny bit! :)

[Cicero]

Maybe since she based some of her last decisions on international law and custom, they'll let her take a seat on the Internation Court in the Hague. She could tidy up some of the loose ends in the Milosevitch case.

[television is just wrong]

Ginsberg should have retired too. She feels alone on the court of all male justices, at least that is what I heard this week.

[stumpy]

Should have made the decision sooner by a couple of years.

[ErnBatavia]

I'm sure she's remained alone in a room full of men uncountable times in her life.

[television is just wrong]

I'm sure she has.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Hopefully, Ginsberg will sleep through the rest of HER term.

[Elyse]

it was her plan to follow the tradition of previous justices, who enjoy lifetime appointments, to work until they die or are virtually incapacitated.

It ticks me off that the justices do this. I think it's too much of a power trip for most of them to let go of and they hold on past the point when they are physically and/or mentally able to handle the job. It's a detriment to our country and it's crazy that it is allowed to happen.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

"O'Connor, 76, also says she accelerated her retirement announcement by at least a year because then-Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who was battling thyroid cancer, told her he was not ready to leave the court"

Rehnquist's final gift to the US and the conservative side of the court. I doubt he had any illusions about living for very long. By telling her he was determined to stay he gave her a gentle push out the door and made certain that Bush would have the chance to nominate 2 conservative justices.

[new yorker 77]

YES!

[new yorker 77]

O'Connor said, "Had I known so many so-called Conservative voters were going to stab the American soldier in the back by staying home on Election Day in 2006 during a time of war, I would have held on until a Democrat controlled Congress could prevent any Conservative judge from taking my seat."

[calljack]

"I was concerned about whether he had an intention to step down since his plans might have altered my own. It's hard for the nation to grapple with two (retirements) at once," she said.


A touch heavy on the self importance scale there missy.

[zbigreddogz]

I've heard that Rhenquist was part of convincing her to leave.

If so, thanks for that last piece of sound advice, Justice Rhenquist.