[massons]

Breaking on MSNBC now.

[massons]

NPR has learned that Supreme Court Justice David Souter is planning to retire at the end of the court's current term.The court has completed hearing oral arguments for the year and will be issuing rulings and opinions until the end of June.

Souter is expected to remain on the bench until a successor has been chosen and confirmed, which may or may not be accomplished before the court reconvenes in October.

At 69, Souter is nowhere near the oldest member of the court, but he has made clear to friends for some time now that he wanted to leave Washington, a city he has never liked, and to return to his native New Hampshire.

Now, according to reliable sources he has decided to take the plunge and has informed the White House of his decision.

Souter's retirement would give President Obama his first appointment to the high court, and most observers expect that he will appoint a woman.
The court currently has one female justice — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is recovering from cancer surgery.

Obama was elected with strong support from women.

An Obama pick would not likely change the ideological makeup of the court. Souter, though appointed by the first President Bush, generally votes with the more liberal members of the court, a group of four that is in a rather consistent minority.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=103694193

[Aaron757]

He wasn't the one I was expecting to step down.

[Andromino]

He wasn't the one I was expecting to step down.

Nor I.

[cymnPrayerm]

I've always appreciated this guy, sorry to see him go. Thanks for serving the nation impartially and fairly, something that can't be said of some of your colleagues.

[mvjvz]

There's gonna be another woman coming on the supreme court!! Ruth needs some company and Sandra was horribly incensed when Dickhead put a man on when she retired.

[Txaizdxx]

He wasn't the one I was expecting to step down.

Nor I.

Souter's desire to retire has been talked about for years. He was always uncomfortable in DC, and long talked about simply wanting to go home to New Hampshire. Fortunately for those of us that were troubled by the right turn the Court was making with Roberts and Alito, he was willing to wait out the 2008 election.

We brought up Souter leaving the bench back in August of last year...Post #5662

http://www.talkabouttennis.com/forum...ter#post332560



Like the decision or not (it is, in actuality, horrible law crafted to reach a necessary result), Souter almost single handedly saved Roe v. Wade. He was a quiet, yet forceful presence on the Court, and he served progressives extremely well. He will be missed.

[Appeselve]

Souter's desire to retire has been talked about for years. He was always uncomfortable in DC, and long talked about simply wanting to go home to New Hampshire. Fortunately for those of us that were troubled by the right turn the Court was making with Roberts and Alito, he was willing to wait out the 2008 election.

We brought up Souter leaving the bench back in August of last year...Post #5662

http://www.talkabouttennis.com/forum...ter#post332560



Like the decision or not (it is, in actuality, horrible law crafted to reach a necessary result), Souter almost single handedly saved Roe v. Wade. He was a quiet, yet forceful presence on the Court, and he served progressives extremely well. He will be missed.

BLESS Souter's heart for not doing this with Bush in office. At the risk of stating the obvious- I'm sure that Obama being President is a big factor in this decision.

[massons]

Souter was reportedly undone by Bush v Gore.

As was our nation.

[Andromino]

Souter is not an ideologue. He understands, unlike Scalia and his crew, that an appointment to the bench is all about upholding and interpreting the law based on legal precedent not what your ideology says is the way to go. That's why the conservatives hate him.

[Andromino]

Bill Maher: The G.O.P. says Obama's Supreme Court pick is unacceptable. And they'll let him know why as soon as they find out who it is.

The framework of the forthcoming battle over Barack Obama's Supreme Court pick began to materialize on Sunday, as a range of Republican officials sent out trial-balloon criticisms of a pick that is likely weeks away from being announced.
(...)
Generally, however, Republicans tried to duck discussion of holding up a Supreme Court nominee in committee or Senate - in the process, spurring speculation that they would do just that.
(...)
"Well, it's a matter of great concern," said Hatch on ABC's This Week. "If he's saying that he wants to pick people who will take sides, he has also said a judge has to be a person of empathy? What does that mean? Usually that's a code word for an activist judge. But he also said that he's going to select judges on the basis of their personal politics, their personal feelings, their personal preferences. Now, you know, those are all code words for an activist judge who is going to, you know, be partisan on the bench."

On the whole, every GOPer who took to the cameras on Sunday granted the president the right to choose someone who was of a liberal judicial mindset. "Elections have consequence," acknowledged former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. But they pledged to put up a fight if the person was not of the requisite intellectual and legal qualifications.

"The key thing," added Romney, "and the place we draw the line is this: is a individual who will follow the constitution or the law or is this an individual who believes in making the law? And if it's the latter, I think we should stand up and scream loud and hard." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/0..._n_195317.html

Is Antonin Scalia a figment of my imagination?

[massons]

No he isn't, Ti-Amie.

You know, we try not to lump Republicans together because they're not all the same. But somebody needs to tell their most visible leaders to go somewhere and sit down and be quiet for even a minute because every time they open their mouths, they reveal their hypocrisy and their stupidity.

[nmnrIjGB]

BLESS Souter's heart for not doing this with Bush in office. At the risk of stating the obvious- I'm sure that Obama being President is a big factor in this decision.

Do you think he would have tried to wait out McCain for 4 (or 8) years if McCain had won?

[Andromino]

Off the top of my head one of the Justices is quite old. That's why Souter going first surprises me.

Munchin I think they would've stayed put as long as their health allowed it.

[cymnPrayerm]

Off the top of my head one of the Justices is quite old. That's why Souter going first surprises me.

Munchin I think they would've stayed put as long as their health allowed it.

John Paul Stevens is 89!!!!! That's almost as old as nelslus.

Oops, I crossed the line again.

[CuittisIL]

John Paul Stevens is 89!!!!! That's almost as old as nelslus.

Oops, I crossed the line again.

LOL!

Mind you that he prefers being called Mr. Nelslus.





nothing like adding 10 years with 2 simple letters in front of your name

[Appeselve]

John Paul Stevens is 89!!!!! That's almost as old as nelslus.

Oops, I crossed the line again.

Hey, GRANNY?!?! Pot, meet kettle.

P.S. The following message is especially meant for the benefit and amusement of Scotty: Nelslus still thinks that Miles Smithers is gay.

[Appeselve]

Off the top of my head one of the Justices is quite old. That's why Souter going first surprises me.

Munchin I think they would've stayed put as long as their health allowed it.

[Appeselve]

LOL!

Mind you that he prefers being called Mr. Nelslus.





nothing like adding 10 years with 2 simple letters in front of your name

Conversely, much to the relief of the LGBT community, nelslus does NOT think that Drop-shot is gay. Drop-shot will however, happily, grow old. And nelslus will then still look lovelier.

[Txaizdxx]

Orrin Hatch expects the nominee to be named this week. Obama has spoken with him and Olympia Snowe, according to Politico. And Snowe asked Obama to appoint a woman.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22093.html


Personally, I'm certain a woman is getting the nod. Anyone for a pool? I'm torn between Sonia Sotomayer and Elena Kagan, but I think he'll go Sotomayer because 1) female, 2) Hispanic, and 3) allready a judge on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, so the Senate has allready approved her for a position on a high court once, making confirmation hearings that much easier.