Posted on 01/22/2010 10:56:08 AM PST by Baladas
(Jan. 22) -- When the Supreme Court overturned long-standing campaign fiance reform limits with a ruling announced Thursday, it also renewed speculation about the future of its longest-serving -- and most liberal -- member. Court-watchers are wondering whether Justice John Paul Stevens has had enough and may retire this spring.
During the last round of Stevens retirement rumors in October, the 89-year-old justice did not exactly knock down the scuttlebutt. "That can't be news," Stevens told USA Today. "I'm not exactly a kid." But predictable or not, a looming vacancy on the Supreme Court is always news, and with the court poised to take on divisive issues such as gay marriage and abortion rights in coming years, Stevens' retirement could have a far-reaching impact.
So do the SCOTUS gossips have it right? Consider the evidence for yourself:
He Hired Just One Clerk This Term The initial speculation that this term could be Stevens' last began in September, when the justice hired only one clerk. Active judges generally hire four clerks to help them with their caseload; retired judges are entitled to just one. In April, Justice David Souter signaled his retirement by slowing his hiring. And last year, after speaking with a group of Stevens' former clerks, Newsweek's Howard Fineman predicted the justice would be next to leave the bench. "There is NO WAY he would go into next year without the full group," one clerk told Fineman anonymously. "He's still vigorous, and I think he wants to leave the court that way," another clerk added.
(Excerpt) Read more at sphere.com ...
longest-serving — and most liberal — member?...............Even more liberal than Ruth Buzzi Ginsberg?.............
I’d prefer he waits until after the November elections.
Perhaps we will have a few Republicans in office who will actually stand up and fight against Obama’s socialist agenda.
We will make every last one of the vulnerable senate dems eat this.
This scares me... Should any of them retire during this socialist rule... The Constitution is gone!
I think he's being talked to by the Leftists, to get out now while they can still ram a radical Leftist through confirmation.
89 years old with that kind of power
Time for a Constitutional amendment to remove the “appointed for life” section. Mandatory retirement for Federal judges, whoever they may be.
I think he will retire. I also think we’ll have a moderate or liberal replace him too. Keeps a balance.
Unless sufficient conservatives (Republican or otherwise) get elected in the Senate in November mid-terms.
Looks like we will have hearings this summer to extent to Lease on the Stevens Seat to another liberal.
Maybe its a good thing such an inept partisan as Obama is doing the nominating - one more choice like that & Ginsburg might even start voting with Roberts.
Filibustering of Judicial nominations is NOW ALIVE AGAIN, at least until one of the RINO’s breaks rank. Bring it on LIBTARDS.
ULTIMATUM TO REPUBLICAN SENATORS:
You better filibuster whoever O nominates.
Better eight justices until President Palin can fill the seat than another commie like the last one.
Get a grip on yourself. If Stevens retires it's one liberal justice being replaced by another. It's not like the balance of the court is changed or anything.
That’s our hope. Stevens some years ago, said something about his decision to retire under a Republican President (I know, he had 8 years to do that...). But I don’t think so.
What's to stop the Democrats from doing the same thing and filibustering any appointment Palin might choose to make?
Justice Stevens was appointed by Gerald Ford.
If Republicans don’t have a majority it still won’t matter and there’s no reason to pick fights they can’t win just to satisfy the malcontents.
It will never happen, at least until November. We need at least 5 more conservative senators for a filibuster.
That’s a great idea.
The Republicans can filibuster all of Obama’s nominees to the SCOTUS and then of course the Democrats will filibuster all of President Palin’s nominees to the SCOTUS.
That explains the longest serving part...............and even the liberal part..................
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