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The leader of the liberal wing of the US Supreme Court, John Paul Stevens, again has said he may soon bow out, which would open a door to President Barack Obama's second pick to the high court. "I do have to fish or cut bait, just for my own personal peace of mind and also in fairness to the process," Stevens said in an interview with The New York Times online Saturday. "The president and the Senate need plenty of time to fill a vacancy." Stevens, set to turn 90 this month, told the Times he did not like to...

<p>The battle over the next Supreme Court justice is already under way, as the No. 2 Republican in the Senate on Sunday would not rule out blocking a successor to Justice John Paul Stevens -- who said in interviews published this weekend his retirement is on the horizon.</p>

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a leader of the court's liberal wing, will decide soon whether to retire after 35 years on the court, two newspapers on Saturday quoted him as saying. U.S. Stevens, 89, has hinted for weeks that retirement may be at hand but has said he has not made up his mind. In interviews published in the New York Times and Washington Post, he discussed his possible retirement. He plans to leave either this year or next, the Post reported, quoting Stevens as saying, "I will surely do it while he's still president," referring to Democratic...

Around here, one of the most powerful men in the nation is known as plain old John Stevens -- courteous bridge player, early-morning regular at the country club's tennis courts, a quiet and spry condo neighbor who checks his weight in the gym before heading off for his daily swim. But those who cross paths with him in his second home of South Florida have the same question as the president of the United States, the leadership of Congress, the abortion rights combatants, the disgruntled conservative legal activists and the grateful civil libertarians,

Impeccable credentials are no defense against Republican obstruction tactics for Obama nominees waiting for U.S. Senate confirmation. The Republicans seem to be stalling the president's appointments simply because they can. They held up the nomination of Barbara Keenan, selected to become the first woman on the Virginia-based Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, even though there was no controversy about her qualifications, ideology or anything else - and the court was seriously shorthanded. Still, the nomination languished for months because of a GOP filibuster. She was ultimately confirmed, 99-0. These delay tactics go beyond the usual tit-for-tat when power shifts...

Barack Obama is gunning for a confrontation with the Supreme Court, and Chief Justice John Roberts has signaled that he welcomes the fight. Last week, the chief justice described the president’s State of the Union condemnation of the Citizens United decision as “very troubling” and complained that the speech had “degenerated to a political pep rally.” Roberts was making an argument about etiquette--dissent was fine, he said, but Obama had somehow transgressed the boundaries of civilized discourse by delivering his attack to a captive audience. But he was implicitly making a political argument as well. That is, Roberts seems to...

The simmering feud between the White House and the Supreme Court is getting a little hotter - and lawmakers on Capitol Hill are helping fan the flames. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.'s impromptu portrayal Tuesday of President Obama's attacks on the high court during the State of the Union address as "very troubling" drew a brusque retort from the White House, which called the court's campaign finance ruling the real problem, and from Democrats eager to attack the court. Responding to a law student's question when speaking at the University of Alabama, Chief Justice Roberts took aim at Mr....

Reporting from Washington - Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told law students Tuesday that he found it "very troubling" to be surrounded by loudly cheering critics at President Obama's State of the Union address, saying it was reason enough for the justices not to attend the annual speech to Congress. "To the extent the State of the Union has degenerated into a political pep rally, I'm not sure why we are there," Roberts said at the University of Alabama School of Law.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address was "very troubling" and that the annual speech to Congress has "degenerated into a political pep rally." Responding to a University of Alabama law student's question about the Senate's method of confirming justices, Roberts said senators improperly try to make political points by asking questions they know nominees can't answer because of judicial ethics rules. "I think the process is broken down," he said.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Obama's State of the Union address was "very troubling" and the annual speech has "degenerated to a political pep rally." Obama chided the court, with the justices seated before him in their black robes, for its decision on a campaign finance case. Responding to a University of Alabama law student's question, Roberts said anyone was free to criticize the court, and some have an obligation to do so because of their positions. "So I have no problems with that," he said. "On the other hand, there is...

Some firm and unequivocal pushback today by Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to President Obama's court criticism in January. It is not at all unusual in American history for the executive branch of the federal government (the White House, under the control of either party) to disagree with the judicial branch (Supreme Court). What is considerably more unusual is for the chief executive of the executive branch (Barack Obama) to look down on the members of said Supreme Court in public at a joint session of Congress and to their faces denounce their independent actions. And then...

John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, is seriously considering stepping down from the nation’s highest court for personal reasons, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively. Roberts, known for his conservative judicial philosophy, has served on the Supreme Court since 2005, having been nominated by President George W. Bush after the death of former Chief William Rehnquist. RadarOnline.com has been told that Roberts, 55, could announce his decision at any time. The decision paves the way for President Barack Obama to make his second appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court following his first, Sonia Sotomayor.

John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, is seriously considering stepping down from the nation’s highest court for personal reasons, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively. RadarOnline.com has been told that Roberts, 55, could announce his decision at any time. The decision paves the way for President Barack Obama to make his second appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court following his first, Sonia Sotomayor.

This may come as a surprise to some people, but the U.S. Constitution does not specify the size of the Supreme Court. The original Judiciary Act of 1789 set the number of justices at six. It shrank to five in 1801. It expanded to seven in 1807. It grew to nine in 1837 and 10 in 1863. It fell back to seven in 1866. It returned to nine in 1869 and has remained at that number since. Political issues accounted for the changes. The Federalists reduced the number to five, hoping to deprive Thomas Jefferson of an appointment. The incoming...

Supreme Court Justice Barack Obama? By Jeffrey Rosen February 21, 2010 He's too detached and cerebral . Too deferential to Congress. Too willing to compromise . And he's too much of a law professor and not enough of a commander in chief, as Sarah Palin recently admonished. Outlook: Supreme Court Justice Barack Obama? These are some of the qualities for which the president, rightly or wrongly, is criticized. They are also the qualities that make him well suited for another steady job on the federal payroll: Barack Obama, Supreme Court justice. Think about it. Though Obama has struggled to find...

He's too detached and cerebral. Too deferential to Congress. Too willing to compromise. And he's too much of a law professor and not enough of a commander in chief, as Sarah Palin recently admonished. These are some of the qualities for which the president, rightly or wrongly, is criticized. They are also the qualities that make him well suited for another steady job on the federal payroll: Barack Obama, Supreme Court justice. Think about it. Though Obama has struggled to find his footing in the White House, his education, temperament and experience make him ideally suited to lead the liberal...

If two U.S. Supreme Court vacancies materialize this spring, they may have the same impact on the nation's capital that two heavy snowfalls have had this month: gridlock, paralysis and frayed tempers. Stories raising the possibility that justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg may leave at roughly the same time have suddenly become part of the Washington conversation, already fueling nightmare scenarios of dragged-out battles between a weakened President Barack Obama and a fiercely contentious Senate over possible replacements. "Republicans are out for blood, and Democrats are out for a fight," said Steve Wermiel, professor at American University...

The Daily Beast has a piece from Mark McKinnon and Myra Adams musing on the possibility that Barack Obama could nominate Hillary Clinton for a Supreme Court seat this year. It's obvious why Clinton might want the seat; few think her ambitions end with the secretary of state gig, but it would be awhile before she could run for president again. And the authors posture that Obama is concerned enough about his legacy that he wants to wipe away the wounds caused by stepping over her on the campaign trail. Plus, "she's as smart and as qualified as any prospect...

GULFPORT (2010-2-2) - During an appearance today at Stetson Law School in Gulfport, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he intentionally skipped the President’s State of the Union speech last week – and he’s glad he did. "I don’t go because it has become so partisan, and it’s very uncomfortable for a judge to sit there. And there’s a lot you don’t hear on T.V. – the catcalls, the whooping and hollering, under-the-breath comments," Thomas said. "So we decided not to go. Some members continued to go and that’s fine, but one of the consequences is that now the court...

Appearing on Laura Ingraham’s radio show earlier this month, NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd surprised the popular host by saying he believes President Obama could very well nominate Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for the Supreme Court next time a vacancy comes up. I know what you’re thinking. “That has to be a joke, right?” Sadly, I’m afraid it is not: TODD: And not a negative. On a – at the next Supreme Court opening, I betcha she gets the call… INGRAHAM (amazed): Why? TODD: Personally, he likes her probably more than any other cabinet secretary outside of [Robert]...