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Friday, July 01, 2005
Game On
It's hard to overstate how big this news is: Justice O'Connor announces her retirement. If you thought the fight over judicial nominations was bitter before, just wait. And so much more is at stake than if Rehnquist retired because O'Connor is such a pivotal swing justice. It will be interesting to see if there is pressure on Bush to fill O'Connor's slot with a woman, similar to how Bush Sr. filled Marshall's spot with Thomas. (Of course, Marshall was the only black on the Court, while this time there is still Ginsburg.)
Boy, Karl Rove couldn't have planned this better. 43% approval rating. Iraq war getting compared more and more to Vietnam. Nice to have a distraction, and trust me, this will suck all of the oxygen out of the political air until her successor is confirmed.
On O'Connor, it's been rumored, since 2000, that she wanted to retire. Indeed, it was widely reported that she was visibly upset during a 2000 Election Night party when Gore appeared to have won Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida. However, as events unfolded, she then was able to select who would select her successor. But she apparently realized that the stench from Bush v. Gore required her to wait until after another election to step down.
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