Quote:
Originally posted by Simple_Min
Speaking of Supreme Court, anyone know who, if anybody is retiring?
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Why is it so widely expected that President Bush will nominate one or more justices to the High Court?
This is one of the longest periods of stability, without a vacancy on the Court, in history. It has been nearly 8 years since the a justice stepped down - it has been 180 years since the court has gone this long with a new member.
The speculation also arises from the number of justices near what is generally thought of as retirement age: Chief Justice William Rehnquist (76), Justice John Paul Stevens (80), and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (70). Justices Ginsburg, O'Connor, and Stevens have battled cancer, while Chief Justice Rehnquist has struggled with back problems. The more cynical political analysis posits that several of the Justices who were appointed by Republican presidents have awaited the return of the White House to G.O.P. hands before thinking of offering resignations.
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/mentions.htm