Chief Justice

Everyone seems to assume that Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who has cancer, will either retire or die this year. Jonathon Turley thinks that Associate Justice Clarence Thomas remains the front-runner to replace Rehnquist, and Turley usually knows what he is talking about.

As I have said before, I hope that Bush goes with a more moderate choice, such as Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. It seems to me that a conciliatory approach by a moderate conservative rather than a hard-line approach by hard-core conservative would best serve the Supreme Court and the country. But based on recent signs, I am beginning to believe that my hope will be unfulfilled.