Rehnquist
As Poli just noted, Robert Novak has written that secret sources inform him that a retirement by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist is imminent.
I cannot think of something that would make the political climate more hostile. President Bush would probably appoint Justice Scalia to fill the Chief Justice’s chair. That would then give him another vacancy to fill – two Associate Justices.
I cannot imagine that left-wing special interests groups are going to sit by and let Democrats consent to not one, but THREE Bush appointments.
However, I dissent from Novak’s view that this spells trouble for Republicans. Both Warner and Graham have announced that they would vote for the nuclear option. In other words, Democrats can filibuster, but the outcome is certain. Whomever the President nominates will sit on the high court.
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