Justice Ginsburg Says She Won’t Retire Before 2012; Hints She May Stay Until 2016

CNSNews ^ | February 4, 2011 | Nicholas Ballasy

[jazusamo]

(CNSNews.com) -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said on Thursday evening that she will not retire from the court before 2012 and hinted that she might serve until she's at least 83 years old in 2016.

VIDEO 1:57 minutes

Ginsburg was interviewed by NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The topic of the discussion was Ginsburg's life before and after becoming a Supreme Court justice.

“I am constantly asked, ‘Is Justice Ginsburg going to retire soon?’" Totenberg asked. "So, I will ask you that. Do you have any plans for your retirement?”

Ginsburg, who was born on March 15, 1933, will turn 78 next month. “I will give the answer that I just gave to you, Nina, a few moments ago," Ginsburg said. "One of the nice perks about this job is that we get to choose paintings from the storage supply of the National Gallery, the Museum of American Art, the Hirshhorn.

Supreme Court Associate
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“I had a wonderful painting from the Museum of American Art by Josef Albers,” said Ginsburg. “It was taken away for a traveling exhibition and I’m told that it will come back to me sometime in 2012. So I am certainly not going to retire before I get my Albers back. Another answer I can give you is I was appointed at age 60, the same age that Louis Bidenz Brandeis was when he was appointed the court. He stayed until he was 83. So I do have a way to go.”

Ginsburg will be 83 on March 15, 2016. (Louis Brandeis retired from the Court at the age of 83 in 1939.)

President Barack Obama, who will be standing for reelection in 2012, has so far filled two vacancies on the Supreme Court, appointing Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.

Last year, during the confirmation process for Justice Kagan, U.S. News and World Report published a piece on "rumors" that Justice Ginsburg might soon retire, and noted the recent death of her husband and her own bout with cancer. "While the court won't comment on the rumors, indications are that she might be looking to leave soon because of the recent death of her husband and also because of her own health issues," said U.S. News and World Report. "She recently underwent chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer."

[justlurking]

Ginsburg if honest would say: “I don’t plan on retiring before 2012 unless it looks like Obama will lose. In that case, if a republican wins, I’ll do my best to live until a Democrat is elected again.”

You beat me to it.

I think she'll retire quickly at the end of 2012 if it looks like Obama is going to lose, or if it's even going to be close.

If she waits too long and doesn't think a new nominee can make it through confirmation before Obama is "retired", then she'll try to hang on until 2016 or even 2020. But, she'll have to be wheeled in and propped up like Weekend at Bernie's.

[jazusamo]

Absolutely, and she doesn’t seem to be in the best of health.

[DoughtyOne]

As bad as she is, the Muslim may be more than even she can sign on to.

At the worst, he would probably appoint someone whose judgment was as bad as hers.

[trumandogz]

I think that means that she will retire at the end of the current term

[dennisw]

These people have a direct pipeline to the devil and he sends them juju and drugs that keep them going and keep them power crazed and in office despite cancer and other diseases

[Above My Pay Grade]

President Cain has a nice ring to it as well.

[Bitsy]

Gosh, I remember seeing Roy Rogers and Trigger at a rodeo in Texas when I was a kid. What a beauty Trigger was.

[DoughtyOne]

Knowing the Obama administration, if one of them were the first to find Ginsberg slumped over in her high-back, the movie “Weekend at Bernie’s” comes to mind.

Heck, she could remain in office until 2076 then.

Just call in an Islamic black-ops taxidermist and you’re off to the races.

[PA-RIVER]

Getting paid 250,000 a year to sleep. Not bad.

[OldNewYork]

Sounds like she thinks the current administration will be replaced in 2012, and she’s holding on in hopes that the next administration will also be a single term only.

[jazusamo]

Heh heh heh. I needed a good morning chuckle. :)

[Freddd]

I would say she just said to Obama ‘I got your back on Obamacare’.

[dblup]

Pancreatic cancer?

She must have thought they were talking in military time.

“I’ll make it to twenty-twelve, maybe twenty-sixteen.”

Somebody better go check on the old stick at 8:30 EST tonight.

[saganite]

It wouldn’t be any worse than what she brings to the Court and if she waits until after 2012 whoever replaces her will not be as “progressive” as she is.

[pogo101]

Conservatives must give Ginsburg this much: If she were more politically minded (than she already is), she’d announce her retirement now. She knows full well that the political branches of government will NOT become more friendly to a “Young Ginsburg” type of nominee after 2012, and is ailing, yet she stays. I have to give her props for that much.

[Dr. Ursus]

Ginsburg is proof olde Bolsheviks never die!

[Jolla]

So I am certainly not going to retire before I get my Albers back

Um Justice - it is NOT yours.

[screaminsunshine]

Do those four losers ever vote differently?

[Truth is a Weapon]

Before criticizing her for sleeping you need to walk in her shoes. Just try listening to some of the lawyers she has to listen too.

What amazes me is that any of our Justices can stay awake for some of the cases.

All that said, it is not a good thing to sleep on the job.

[MsLady]

No they don’t. America doesn’t need that. I’m truly sick up to my eyeballs with these liberals. Basically if your liberal you should be able to live comfortably with that kind of ideology, in any country in the world except here. And they have to try to ruin it here to.