Chief Justice Rehnquist dies

[OceanCityGirl]

If it hasn't been posted yet. Breaking news.

Whenever I check and swear I don't see a post on something it always turns out it was already posted but here goes.

[SMLCHNG]

Sad, but not much of a surprise..

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist Dead
Saturday, September 03, 2005

WASHINGTON — Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist (search) died Saturday evening at his home in suburban Virginia, said Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg.

A statement from the spokeswoman said he was surrounded by his three children when he died in Arlington.

"The Chief Justice battled thyroid cancer since being diagnosed last October and continued to perform his dues on the court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days," she said.

Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court (search) as an associate justice in 1971 by President Nixon and took his seat on Jan. 7, 1982. He was elevated to chief justice by President Reagan (search) in 1986.

His death ends a remarkable 33-year Supreme Court career during which Rehnquist oversaw the court's conservative shift, presided over an impeachment trial and helped decide a presidential election.

The death President Bush his second court opening within pour months and sets up what's expected to be an even more bruising Senate confirmation battle than that of John Roberts.

Rehnquist, 80 and ill with cancer, presided over President Clinton's impeachment trial in 1999, helped settle the 2000 presidential election in Bush's favor, and fashioned decisions over the years that diluted the powers of the federal government while strengthening those of the states.

[ejr]

No, I don't think it was posted elsewhere, and no, nobody had him in the Pine Box Derby. So now there are two openings for the Supreme Court (though earlier there was speculation that Sandra Day O'Connor could be persuaded to un-retire to become Chief Justice.)

[habourgirl]

I think we were all anticipating this. We knew it would happen in the very near future. His death and supreme court vacancy surely will not create as much of a media frenzy as O'Connor's - because she was truly in the middle and those in the middle run the court. If he's replaced by an ultra conservative, so be it. He was the epitomy of conservativism. Now the speculation will begin on who will be appointed the next Chief Justice...

Very interesting stuff, at least for a law student...

[Captain Morgan]

:submits his resume to Monster.com:

[Ilph]

Sail on, Chief Rehnquist.