[STEAMER]

Thompson was an astute politician long before he was into acting. His first role was as himself in the movie Marie, a true story, where Thompson was the prosecuting attorney of a corrupt governor.
Resigning his seat before Tennessee elected a rat governor allowed that seat to remain in GOP hands, and gives him a brief respite before the storms of a confirmation hearing.

[colorado tanker]

No matter who is nominated to the SC, it will get ugly. The Dems narrowly avoided losing Roe v. Wade in the 80's when they borked Bork and couldn't believe their luck when we found out who Souter really was. They know they'll have to fight even harder this time, especially if O'Connor retires.