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Statement of Justice John Paul Stevens: William Rehnquist's independent, impartial, and dedicated leadership of the Supreme Court has been an inspiration to those of us privileged to serve with him - and to the entire Nation as well. Charles Evans Hughes, a great Chief Justice whom he particularly admired, would have been proud of the example he set as the leader of the Court. He was truly the first among equals in discharging his judicial duties in a prompt, scholarly and fair manner. He was a good friend, maintaining his sense of humor and proportion throughout the difficult period that...

WILLIAM H. Rehnquist was one of the great chief justices in American history. Over the last three decades, he moved the Supreme Court in a more conservative direction, advancing states' rights, expanding police powers and returning the country to its Tocquevillian roots. But in recent years his colleagues have handed him a series of setbacks in areas dear to him — including religion, property rights, federalism and capital punishment — signaling that perhaps the time had come for fresh leadership. Leading the court is a notorious challenge. Justices are a famously independent bunch. A chief justice cannot order his colleagues...

Leading Democrats in the U.S. Senate today sent a letter to President Bush recommending that he ask recently passed Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist to "un-die," and continue serving on the Court until outgoing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's seat has been filled. "We are simply unprepared to deal with all of the current issues going on," said freshman Senator Osama (D-Illinois), "it is too much to ask of the members of the Senate to deal with two Supreme Court nominations while addressing so many other bug issues of the day, such as the fallout from Hurricane Katrina, the funeral...

Just hours after the death of William H. Rehnquist, Senate Democrats demanded that President George Bush nominate a replacement whose ideology and judicial philosophy match that of the late Supreme Court justice. "When Sandra Day O'Connor retired, we insisted Bush appoint a centrist to replace her and maintain the balance on the court," said one unnamed Senator. "Now, we demand that the president name a right-wing, conservative, originalist to replace Rehnquist for that same reason." The Senator explained that balance is the most important feature of the high court, trumping ideology, logic and the intent of the framers of the...

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist's death created upheaval in Washington on Sunday, as President Bush and the Senate scrambled to deal with court's first double vacancy in 34 years. Rehnquist's body will lie in repose at the Supreme Court Tuesday and Wednesday. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery following funeral services Wednesday. Senators moved toward beginning Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' confirmation hearing on Tuesday, but postponing it on the day of Rehnquist's funeral, congressional sources said, speaking on conditions of anonymity. However, delaying the start of hearings until Thursday has not been fully...

It seems obvious to say that words mean what they mean. But nowhere is it less obvious, it seems, than at the U.S. Supreme Court - which is under constant pressure to read into the Constitution what special interest groups want to read into it. William H. Rehnquist was not such a man. He believed that the Founding Fathers said what they meant and meant what they said. He took an oath to be faithful to the Constitution. He was faithful to it to the end. First as an associate justice in 1972, then as chief justice from 1986 on,...

The death of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist just days before Senate confirmation hearings for John G. Roberts Jr. set off a scramble in Washington yesterday and presented President Bush a historic opportunity to put his stamp on the Supreme Court for decades to come. As he contemplates filling his second court vacancy, Bush is considering a plan to install Roberts as chief justice rather than as an associate justice replacing Sandra Day O'Connor, senior administration officials said. With the Roberts vetting process well advanced and his confirmation on track, such a shift could guarantee that a chief justice would...

If the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor opened a gap at the ideological center of the Supreme Court, the death of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist removed the anchor of its right wing. Yet in what is suddenly a much more complex process of replacing not only O'Connor but also Rehnquist, President Bush has an opportunity to shore up the court's conservative bloc and entrench it. Rehnquist's replacement will probably serve for many years to come; if the new justice's views remain conservative over that time, it will mean the effective perpetuation of a Rehnquist-like vote on the court...

THE DEATH OF REHNQUIST:A golden opportunity Monday, September 5, 2005 With the death of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, it is our fervent hope that President Bush truly understands what is at stake. With the confirmation of John Roberts all but assured -- likely a far more reliable conservative than his predecessor, Sandra Day O'Connor -- this is not a time to be timorously calculating, to assuage "moderates" and capitulate to the Left. Mr. Chief Justice Rehnquist was a reliable conservative and a remarkable administrator whose sense of originalism is desperately needed on the court. Now is the...

For Bush, historic choices, a tough environment President ponders Rehnquist replacement; Democrats seek hearings delay By Tom Curry National affairs writer MSNBC Updated: 6:11 p.m. ET Sept. 4, 2005 WASHINGTON - While the death of Chief Justice Rehnquist was not a surprise, it nonetheless came as a shock. At the White House Sunday morning, President Bush paid tribute to Rehnquist and said, “There are now two vacancies on the Supreme Court. And it will serve the best interests of the nation to fill those vacancies promptly. I will choose in a timely manner a highly qualified nominee to succeed Chief...

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(CNN) -- The Supreme Court released statements by seven Supreme Court justices who paid tribute to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who died Saturday. A statement from Justice David Souter is not expected, the court said.Justice John Paul Stevens: "William Rehnquist's independent, impartial and dedicated leadership of the Supreme Court has been an inspiration to those of us privileged to serve with him -- and to the entire nation as well. Charles Evans Hughes, a great chief justice whom he particularly admired, would have been proud of the example he set as the leader of the court. "He was truly...

This interview I'm guessing will be replayed a few more times, but as I watch it now, the depth of the loss to the conservative side continues to be felt, by me at least. He sounds unbelievably sharp, and yet, plain spoken. Bush is going to be challenged to find his replacement.

William H. Rehnquist, who died Saturday at the age of 80 almost a year after learning he had thyroid cancer, helped lead a conservative revolution on the Supreme Court during 19 years as chief justice of the United States. Chief Justice's Rehnquist's death came six weeks after he refuted rumors that he would soon retire by announcing that he intended to serve as long as his health permitted. At the time of that announcement, on July 14, photographers had been camped out for weeks outside his house in Arlington, Va. Following his diagnoses of cancer last October, the chief justice...

Chief Justice Rehnquist, stalwart defender of a strict interpretation of our Constitution is dead. He served this Nation well and stubbornly fought against the debilitating illness that eventually took him. He deserves our great respect. However, his passing now opens up the door to what, judging from demonRATS most recent past performances, will be an exercise in assorted acrimonious displays by the professional whiners and their organized legions of left-leaning loonies. Mr. President, I inplore you to, as soon as possible, hold a press conference so that all the Nation and world may see and hear you to make the...

WASHINGTON -- Chief Justice William Rehnquist's body will lie in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court on Tuesday and Wednesday and he will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery following funeral services Wednesday. The court announced Sunday that the public will be invited to pay its respects from 10:30 a.m. EDT until 10 p.m. on Tuesday and from 10 a.m. until noon on Wednesday. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, D.C., with funeral services open to friends and family. The burial at Arlington will be private. In a sensitive...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Concerned Women for America (CWA) extends its sympathy and prayers to the family of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist as they grieve the loss of their loved one. "We have lost a noble American who loved and served his country with great honor and distinction," said Jan LaRue, CWA's chief counsel. His continued service as he endured aggressive and debilitating treatment for cancer was an inspiration." Rehnquist was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 1, 1924. He married Natalie Cornell, now deceased, and has three children - James, Janet and Nancy. From 1943-1946, he served...

Far from sitting out the holiday weekend, lefty moonbats have been mighty busy, with speedy reactions to breaking news wherever they believed a stink could be made : --- Huffington Post's Geoffrey R Stone was first out of the gate Saturday evening, so quickly that one wonders whether it was written well in advance of US Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist's passing: ....... .....(later) How Boston's ABC-5 Sunday news anchor began the Rehnquist news: "While women and minorites were often on the losing end of his decisions, Rehnquist....." --- Not that the left has given up on their mindless...

In a news conference today, Howard Dean stamped his feet and called Bush's nominee to replace the late Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist a "right wing extremist homophobe bigot," and an "icky pukey old man." Dean, who is more noted for his hissy fits than for his penchant for wearing women's underwear, at one point became so animated that he actually bit his tongue so hard it bled.

Contact: David Almasi of Project 21, 202-543-4110 ext. 11 or Project21@nationalcenter.org WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Hubbs Rehnquist's passing is mourned by members of the black leadership network Project 21. "Chief Justice Rehnquist will be remembered as one of a few historic heads of the Supreme Court," said Project 21 member Horace Cooper, a law professor at the George Mason University Law School. "A conservative jurist who was appointed to an activist liberal Court, Chief Justice Rehnquist helped restore a new federalism in constitutional law and strengthened local law enforcement. His tenure marked...