Posted on 11/01/2005 8:49:23 PM PST by dangus
You may think that it seems like there's been a lot of nomination activity lately. But even including the last two departures from the Supreme Court, there's been a remarkable lack of retirements from the Court. As a result, there are several judges who may yet go before the end of Bush's term. (I'd give an over-under of about 1.)
Which do you think is most likely to go next?
--> Liberal John Paul Stevens, appointed by "President" Ford in 1975. He will be 88 by the next election. --> Radical Ruth Bader Ginsburg, appointed by "President" Bill Clinton in 1993. She will be 75. She survived cancer, but is rumored to be visibly ill lately. --> Moderate Anthony Kennedy, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in his lame duck years (1987) will be 72, way past retirement ages in most lines of work, but not terribly old for a judge. He's probably liberal enough that he wouldn't think of retiring to give President Bush a chance to replace him, but he's still Republican enough that he hardly seems likely to want to hold out for a Democratic President. But perhaps we're best to pray -- and I'm serious folks, let's pray -- that his being in contact with colleagues who are serious, conservative thinkers and devout Catholics will pull him back from the dark side. --> Conservative Anthony Scalia, appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986. I suppose he'd like to stick around and enjoy the fruits of those hard years in the wilderness, but who knows? Maybe he might figure that his mission is accomplished, and he can let Bush pick someone like, oh, say, Janice Rogers Brown. He will be 72, after all. --> Liberal David Souter, appointed by George's old man in 1990 shows no sign of slowing down. Maybe we can throw some black cats in front of him? He'll be 69 in '08. --> Conservative Clarence Thomas. What? He's still only 57? --> Conservative John Roberts. Who knows? Maybe he'll get pissed off when he finds out he's the chief justice, but he still has to fetch coffee for Ol' Buzzy.
While we're speculating, who might replace these guys?
By the way, it's real easy to imagine that only Stevens retires, if even he does. On the other hand, if a justice retires and is replaces by another conservative, who knows? Maybe several judges might turn in.
Ginsburg
I'm betting that there will be one more on W's watch, probably from one of the AJ passing away, but it could be due to a retirement or health issues
Sen Inhofe said in a stop here this summer that Justice Stevens plans to retire around the end of this year.
Better yet which Ex President will go first
Ford
Carter
Bush Sr.
or the STD laden, Stainmaker put some ice on it Billllll
Clintoooonnnnn
I don't know what happened to my line breaks, but here goes a second time:
--> Liberal John Paul Stevens, appointed by "President" Ford in 1975. He will be 88 by the next election.
--> Radical Ruth Bader Ginsburg, appointed by "President" Bill Clinton in 1993. She will be 75. She survived cancer, but is rumored to be visibly ill lately.
--> Moderate Anthony Kennedy, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in his lame duck years (1987) will be 72, way past retirement ages in most lines of work, but not terribly old for a judge. He's probably liberal enough that he wouldn't think of retiring to give President Bush a chance to replace him, but he's still Republican enough that he hardly seems likely to want to hold out for a Democratic President. But perhaps we're best to pray -- and I'm serious folks, let's pray -- that his being in contact with colleagues who are serious, conservative thinkers and devout Catholics will pull him back from the dark side.
--> Conservative Anthony Scalia, appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986. I suppose he'd like to stick around and enjoy the fruits of those hard years in the wilderness, but who knows? Maybe he might figure that his mission is accomplished, and he can let Bush pick someone like, oh, say, Janice Rogers Brown. He will be 72, after all.
--> Liberal David Souter, appointed by George's old man in 1990 shows no sign of slowing down. Maybe we can throw some black cats in front of him? He'll be 69 in '08.
--> Conservative Clarence Thomas. What? He's still only 57?
--> Conservative John Roberts. Who knows? Maybe he'll get pissed off when he finds out he's the chief justice, but he still has to fetch coffee for Ol' Buzzy.
O yeah... and lefty Steve Breyer, who will turn 70.
3-1 odds on Ginsberg in this Dead Pool.
Clinton = Killed by jealous husband :-)
Stevens. He's getting up there. I'll be surprised if he survives this term.
Not to wish ill on anyone, but her retirement wether health related or not would be the best for the country.
Just savoring the thought of Thomas being there when all the leftist old guard are gone.... mmmmmmmmmm.
oops.
Hey, now, John Paul Stevens is every inch as radical as ACLU Ginsburg and IS the most leftist member of the court. Ruth Buzzi G. has almost 2 decades more to go before she can match his appalling record of judicial injustice.
I would love to see that turd, Stevens go away.
I'd say the chances are even money for one vacancy and 7-2 for two vacancies sometime in the next 3 years.
I thought the silliness was evident.
The Democrats were upset that Alito is a white male, so Janice Rogers Brown can be appointed to replace him to increase the "diversity" on the Court. We've put the Dems through so much already - it is the least that could be done for them.
Send him a blow up doll of you know who, that would put a horse off it's oats.*
(You know the one with the make up :^)
That would be a fortunate turn of events.
Nope. That would have been done when he was governor. He now has round-the-clock Secret Service protection for life. Sadly, we pay to defend the indefensible. I've wondered if he has the same STD that did in Arafat. Would explain alot.
It was...I was sure you knew, I wasn't sure about others...
>> (You know the one with the make up :^) <<
Souter?
My theory (pure speculation) was that Roberts was a quick confirmation. Then he thought Miers would be a quick stealth nominee with semi-backing from Reid, even thought she would vote as a conservative. But when the third justice stepped down, he would go for the serious firepower (someone like Janice Rogers Brown). That would either prime the base for the mid-term elections, or Bush would be a total lame duck in his last two years, so he could shoot for the moon without consequence. (Hey, it sounded good a month ago!)
SWAG prediction:
Stevens announces his retirement in late winter 2006.
Ginsburg falls very ill in fall '06, dies soon after.
In this order:
Ford
Clinton
Carter
Bush 41
I think that the President might get to nominate 2 more....replacements for Stevens & Ginsberg.
ok your down for it
Even better, remember her comments about who she wanted for a new justice...a female.....wanted Bush to consider her choices. Well, well, bet she is not too pleased with this latest confirmation and this latest candidate, especially.
Wishing here she gets so po'd she quits. Doubt it, but I can dream, can't I?
I know who I don`t want to go next.
But the liberal justices are the most "seasoned"
Justices by year of birth:
Stevens 1920
Ginsberg 1933
Kennedy 1936
Scalia 1936
Breyer 1938
Souter 1939
Thomas 1948
Roberts 1955
O`Conner is on the way out so I didn`t count her in the mix.
Ginsberg and Stevens will probably try to hold out until the 08 elections, in hopes that a Dem gets elected.
Any future openings may be like the Rehnquist opening - natural causes.
YEP....the Dems have set their own trap, by calling for "diversity." We better give it to them NEXT time, which I PREDICT will be within 2 years......Stevens.
All of them. A plane crashes into the SCOTUS, requiring the Pres. to appoint 8 new Justices. Alito will be CJ.
(Mea cupa, just a hpothetical from my twisted mind, not a desire. :P)
Ginsburg, Kennedy, Stevens
hillarys plane i hope
LOL .... the dog9 knows the one (from last evening) ....
Wow! Is Ford still alive?... I just presumed he died and nobody gave a crap. That puts him in his 90s! Carter will have just turned 81; Bush is 81, too... Bill Clinton is 59.
Let's put it this way... Bill dies the youngest. But I gotta think Ford is closed to doing what all Fords do after about 100K.
Not if the husband is a Secret Serviceman. :)
"Yeah, I was checking my weapon, and wouldn't ya know it, Billybob just walked into the line of sight! And I had ABSOLUTELY no idea that the Junior Senator was right next to him. Dang shame, huh?"
Maybe Ginsburg or Stevens will go to their "reward" before W's term is up. We could get a twofer.
Wow. FIVE go in one term, eh? Maybe we can even find room for a Protestant.
Naaaah.
See #40. :)
This could be a good Bush Plot, with Miers thrown in knowing she wouldn't fly. Could be a great show if next he is willing to appoint JRB. What could the dems possibly say?
Wha?
I didn't THINK I missed that other thread. It had "SCOTUS" as a key word, when I followed your link, but it didn't show up when I clicked on SCOTUS as a keyword.
Let's hope it's a stretch wagon.
A solid conservative court could mean that the liberals would have to suffer years of never being in the majority on an important decision. That would be a tough job for anyone.
George Bush Sr. may be 81, but he's jumping out of planes and speeding around in boats. He's good to last.
OK, I am really going to go out on a limb here.
I predict that we are going to see Souter breaking ranks with the moonbat wing and joining ranks instead with the ones we expected him to vote with in the first place. If that happens we could start seeing some 6-3 rulings without President Bush naming yet another justice.
You heard it here first.
What would motivate him to do that?
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