Chief Justice William Rehnquist just died!

[Cicero]

Actually, I thought Common Tator's post was an interesting one, with many good points. I don't want to disparage Reagan, but I sometimes tire of the need of old-time Reaganites like Peggy Noonan to disparage Bush. I think Reagan and Bush have both done a lot for our country and for the world. It seems pointless to argue which of them was better than the other.

I think and hope that Bush understands how important his SCOTUS nominations are. So far he has not compromised with the Democrats in the Senate, which so many of his Republican predecessors did. I think he will fight hard, with great political skill, to make good appointments that will begin to turn our courts around and take them out of the hands of tyrannical activists.

[El Gato]

It appears that by Presidential directive, FEMA, under Mr. Chertoff, had primary responsibility for coordinating all disaster relief efforts effective August 26. Perhaps he was unaware of this.

Everyone dies eventually. If Justice Rehnquist had not passed during Bush's presidency, he would surely have done so in the not too distant future. Possibly one with a DUmmie majority in the House, or even a DUmmie in the White House. Now that would have changed the makeup of the court, don't you agree?

[sitetest]

Dear Cicero,

Actually, I was sort of enjoying the dialogue with the poster, nyself. I don't mind going back and forth, discovering points of difference, discussing and debating those points.

Heck, that's kinda one of the big parts of FR.

On the other hand, I'm far too busy for this crap:

"Like many people who believes what the media says, you don't understand what went on in the past and what is going down now."

or this crap:

"THAT IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... IS CALLED POLITICAL CAPITAL!!!"

or getting lumped in with this crap:

"The unwashed don't understand what or why Dubya does what he does."


sitetest

[potlatch]

Thanks for the ping Meek. Prayers for his family.

Good to hear from you!!

[PhiKapMom]

That's a good one! Karl has been a busy man!

[frogjerk]

I'm waiting for this lunacy next:

DIMS: "Since BUSH has screwed up New Orleans so badly, he owes the American people some of the caliber of a Ginsburg to be appointed to the Supreme Court."

[TBP]

I bet the libs are rejoicing.

Condolences to Rehnquist's family, his colleagues on the Court, and the country. They'll be in our prayers.

President Bush better not blow this opportunity. We need a constitutionalist, not Gonzales or one of those "pragmatists."

[La Enchiladita]

Thank you, FMC, for the ping.

Chief Rehnquist fought to the end, smacked down a vulturous press, continue to serve his country in his last days and he died on the bench. He was a great American and a true hero. I salute and celebrate the life of William Rehnquist, offer my sympathy to his family and pray for his soul's journey to Heaven, that a heavenly cloud of witnesses may commend this soul to even higher realms than the earthly high court in which we served faithfully and well.

[AlGone2001]

Here is a little info I collected on Chief Justices. I think I'm accurate, but will take suggestions and make modifications, if necessary. Let me know if you have anything you'd like to add.

 

CHIEF JUSTICES OF THE US SUPREME COURT

NAME	STATE	APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT	DATE OF JUDICIAL OATH AS CHIEF	DATE SERVICE TERMINATED	SERVICE AS ASSOCIATE
John Jay	New York	George Washington	10-19-1789	6-29-1795	NA
John Rutledge	South Carolina	George Washington	8-12-1795	10-15-1795	2-15-1790 to 3-5-1791
Oliver Ellsworth	Connecticut	George Washington	3-8-1796	10-15-1800	NA
John Marshall	Virginia	John Adams	2-4-1801	7-6-1835	NA
Robert Brook Taney	Maryland	Andrew Jackson	3-28-1836	10-12-1864	NA
Salmon Portland Chase	Ohio	Abraham Lincoln	10-15-1864	5-7-1873	NA
Morrison Remick Waite	Ohio	Ulysses S. Grant	3-4-1874	3-23-1888	NA
Melville Weston Fuller	Illinois	Grover Cleveland	10-8-1888	7-4-1910	NA
Edward Douglass White	Louisiana	William Taft	12-19-1910	5-19-1921	3-12-1894 to 12-18-1910
William Howard Taft	Connecticut	Warren Harding	7-11-1921	2-3-1930	NA
Charles Evans Hughes	New York	Herbert Hoover	2-24-1930	6-30-1941	10-10-1910 to 6-10-1916
Harlan Fiske Stone	New York	Franklin D. Roosevelt	7-3-1941	4-22-1946	3-2-1925 to 7-2-1941
Fred Moore Vinson	Kentucky	Harry Truman	9-24-1946	9-8-1953	NA
Earl Warren	California	Dwight D. Eisenhower	10-5-1953	6-23-1969	NA
Earl Warren Burger	Virginia	Richard Nixon	6-23-1969	9-26-1986	NA
William Rehnquist	Virginia	Ronald Reagan	9-26-1986	9-3-2005	1-7-1972 to 9-26-1986
?	?	George W. Bush

---

INTERESTING POINTS

1. To date, there have been 16 Chief Justices of the US Supreme Court.
2. Of the 16 Chief Justices, 11 were nominated directly to the position from outside the court.
3. Of the 16 Chief Justices, 5 had previously been associate justices on the bench.
4. John Rutledge had been an associate and left the court with just over 1 year of service, only to return as the 2nd Chief Justice.
5. Charles Evans Hughes had served almost six years on the bench as an associate (1910-16), only to leave the bench and return about 14 years later as Chief Justice.
6. Chief Justices Edward Douglass White, Harlan Fiske Stone, & William Rehnquist are the only 3 chiefs to ever be elevated directly from acting Associate Justice to the position of Chief Justice.
7. Only 3 of the last 8 Chief Justices were appointed while actively serving as an Associate Justice.
8. President George Washington is the only president to appoint more than one Chief Justice, and he appointed 3.
9. It was not until Salmon P. Chase took the oath as Chief Justice that a chief was placed in his role within three days of the vacancy.  He was the 6th Chief Justice.
10. It was not until Charles Evans Hughes was installed as Chief Justice that chief was placed in his role within three days of the vacancy.  He was the 11th Chief Justice, who too the oath more than 55 years after Chief Justice Hughes.
11. The last two Chief Justices each took the oath as Chief Justice on the a vacancy was made in the Chief Justices slot.
12. The last three openings as Chief Justice were filled in less than 30 days.
13. Only John Marshall served more than 30 years as Chief Justice.  He serve a little over 34 years.  His period of serve spanned a period of six US Presidents.
14. Robert Brook Taney and Melville Weston Fuller are the only other men to serve over 20 years as Chief Justice.  Taney served more than 28 years and Fuller served over 21 years. 
15. Chief Justice Taney's period of service spanned a period of 10 US Presidents.
16. John Rutledge served two times on the bench:  once as an associate and once as the Chief Justice.  His total time on the court was about 15 months.
17. Chief Justice Taft is the only Chief Justice to have served previously as President of the United States.  He served one term as president (1909-13) and took his place on the bench as Chief Justice just 8 years after his presidency ended.  He replaced Chief Justice Edward Douglass White, who he nominated to the same position.

[TBP]

The libs really are rejoicing. You should see DUh.

Meantime, call the Senate TOLL FREE 1-800-828-0498 and tell thm you want a constitutionalist, originalist justice as our new Supreme Court Justice.

[Cicero]

Ah, well. I wasn't trying to blame you, only to say that I hope Bush will learn from past Republican mistakes and do a good job with the Court appointments. No more compromises, which have led to folks like Earl Warren and David Souter, not to mention Paul Stevens. We can't afford to give an inch.

[Spacetrucker]

I can hear it echoing in the halls of the Senate now....(mostly from the Swimmer's office)...

GAME ON!!

[sitetest]

Dear Cicero,

I agree with what you're saying. No more compromises. No more Souters.

I just don't know that that's what will happen.

I'm not even so sure about this Roberts fellow, yet.


sitetest

[GreenHornet]

My prayers are with the family of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in their time of loss. I pray also for our nation and our President as a successor is chosen.