Like many Americans in his generation, Rehnquist attended college after World War II with the support of scholarship money from the GI Bill. At Stanford, he earned both a bachelor and a master of arts degree in political science. A distinguished student, Rehnquist was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1948. He continued his education at Harvard where he received another master of arts degree -- this time in government -- two years later. Rehnquist returned to Stanford Law School in 1950; he graduated at the top of his class. (Sandra Day O'Connor, who would eventually serve with him on the Supreme Court, graduated third from that same class.)
At law school, Rehnquist started down the path that would eventually take him to the Supreme Court. Having already established a reputation among his instructors and peers as a brilliant legal thinker and an able scholar, Rehnquist impressed one professor sufficiently to earn a private interview with Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, who was visiting the law school. Rehnquist's professor, a former clerk for Jackson, arranged the meeting in hopes that his favored student could convince Jackson of his qualifications for a clerkship. Rehnquist walked away from that meeting feeling he had failed to impress Jackson in the slightest. However, his fears proved false as Jackson eventually selected him for clerkship that year. Rehnquist's clerkship under the moderate Jackson did not alter his conservative beliefs in any noticeable manner. Instead, his exposure to the other clerks may have served only to confirm his conservativism.
Rehnquist married Natalie Cornell, whom he had met during his law school years, after his completing his clerkship. He also moved to Phoenix, Arizona to work for a law firm there. Rehnquist chose Phoenix for its pleasant weather and favorable political leanings. The next few years passed uneventfully for Rehnquist. He, together with his wife, raised a son and two daughters.
Following advice given to him by Justice Felix Frankfurter, Rehnquist began his participation in the Republican Party. He became a Republican Party official and achieved prominence in the Phoenix area as a strong opponent of liberal initiatives such as school integration. Rehnquist campaigned for Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater during the 1964 elections. During that time, he befriended Richard Kleindienst, another attorney from Phoenix. When Richard Nixon rose to the presidency a few years later, he appointed Kleindienst deputy attorney general of his administration. Kleindienst sought Rehnquist for the position of deputy attorney general in then Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.
When Justice John Marshall Harlan retired in 1971, the Nixon administration chose Rehnquist as Harlan's replacement. A Democratic Senate overwhelmingly confirmed his nomination. On January 7, 1972, Rehnquist -- and fellow nominee, Lewis Powell -- took their oaths of office.
In his early days on the Court, Rehnquist was outspoken as the Court's lone dissenter despite the presence of three other Republican appointees. He battled against the expansion of federal powers and advocated a strong vision of state's rights. Rehnquist also differed from the majority's view that the Fourteenth Amendment applied to non-racial issues such as the rights of women, children, and immigrants. Although his dissents at the time influenced very little of the Court's conclusions, Rehnquist provided the future Court many valuable ideas which inspired the later conservative shift. Rehnquist's views led him to oppose the majority in several important decisions. In his opinion, the liberal faction of the Court too often tried to shape public policy by expanding the scope of the law beyond its original meaning.
Your post bears repeating. This "Miers = Rehnquist" connection solely becuase neither one served as Judge prior to SCOTUS appointment is absurd.
Rehnquist, along with sll the other SCOTUS nominees who had never been judges, got the nod for SCOTUS because he was one of the most distinguished lawyers and legal minds in this country, as well as a long track record as a brilliant conservative thinker.
Rehnquist was Deputy Attorney General at the time of his appointment. This made him in the 2nd highest ranking lawyer in the country. Rehnquist has more in common with Larry Thompson, another outstanding deputy A.G. (who was among those "passed up" in favor of Texas Lotto Commissioner Miers.
Rehnquist worked in the Nixon white house but was NOT a Nixon crony. Nixon thought Rehnquist looked "goofy" with the long sideburns and pink shirts (hey, it was 1971), and called him "Rennburg". Rehnquist got the job because of his outstanding credentials and because the research team at the white house made their case to Nixon that Rehnquist was a rising conservative star who could stay on the court for years to come because he was in his 40s (great foresight there)
Rehnquist had paid his dues to the GOP. He was a long time party activist, legal adviser, and contributor. He was a Goldwater Republican. His conservative advocacy dated back to his youth in Milwaukee. Nobody doubted Rehnquist would tilt the court rightward, which is why the libs opposed his nomination so much but didn't touch Powell during the same confirmation hearings.
Rehnquist was a living legend. Miers is a nice lady, but she is cipher. This is no nice way of putting it.
I guess the truth hurts.