7.11.2005

Bush, the Supreme Court, and Reproductive Rights

Discourse has a good piece up on the subject; snippet here, go there for it all:

We’re in Day Five of the Rehnquist resignation watch, ever since rumors of a Rehnquist resignation started to swirl Friday, while Chief Justice Rehnquist kept on refusing to validate them by actually resigning. As Josh Marshall has suggested, it’s in the Democrats’ interest for Rehnquist to resign now. If Bush gets one nomination now, he’ll likely pick a hard-liner (because that’s who he’ll want). The Democrats will filibuster, the Republicans will invoke the nuclear option, and Bush will get his appointment. If Bush gets one nomination now and one a year from now, same story (twice). If Bush has to fill two seats now, it’s less clear that he’ll be able to get away with appointing two hard-liners — he’ll face some peel-away in his own party.