BREAKING on NPR-- Justice Souter to retire at the end of the current session....

[mike_c]

Source: National Public Radio

Thanks to Catwoman for the link!

NPR has announced that David Souter is retiring at the end of the current court session.

edit: spelling.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103694193

[Captain Hilts]

1. Souter. Damn. nt

[Blaq Dem]

40. At least Obama will pick Souter's successor

I remember it like yesterday when Bush Sr. picked him. Everyone thought he'd be another conservative. Fortunately Souter had a mind of his own.

[Captain Hilts]

57. Yes, that is a great relief. nt

[JI7]

2. Souter ?

[Blaq Dem]

41. Two words: HISPANIC WOMAN!

[Jack from Charlotte]

47. More words.... Woman, young, marathon runner, thin, vegatarian....

whose parents and grand parents are still alive and whose great grand parents lived will into their 90's. And already rich so theirs no temptation to retire before age 97.

Get my drift?

[John Q. Citizen]

51. Good idea. And a lefty.

[NuttyFluffers]

75. well, not fulfilling all those credentials, could we make an exception for Kucinich? ;)

:smoke:

[marshall]

80. And one who's still young enough to have a stake in the right to choose

I'm tired of decrepit old men making those kind of decisions.

[okieinpain]

91. i agree. n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Souter?

Too bad. I was hoping Fat Tony Scalia would go away. But at least Obama will be able to appoint his rpelacement -- not McCain...

[aquart]

9. I was hoping Fat Tony would just burst.

But that deal with the devil came with mighty fine perks.

[rockymountaindem]

4. Yippee! Another battle Reid can cave in

Seriously, too bad about Souter. Although, it's best that he stayed on until now.

[blaze]

5. No shit!

[cali]

6. Souter's been a pretty good justice.

[Jack from Charlotte]

48. That's why the Republic quit appointing, so called conservatives....

and went to people who are only loyal to Republic Party lines. Conservatives get appointed and then do the right thing, most of the time on the court.

[No Elephants]

78. Wouldn't go that far.

[VeraAgnes]

7. When exactly is the end of the session?

I guess I could google...

Oh, wait; Rachel just announced! MSNBC

[elleng]

14. May/June?

RESUME, First Monday in October.

[VeraAgnes]

21. Great!

I'm looking forward to a young liber Justice. Female at that.

[Mojambo]

8. Al Franken please report to the Senate immediately.

We're going to find out how much Specter is worth right off the bat.

My guess is not a whole hell of a lot.

[onehandle]

10. On Rachel too. nt

[bottomtheweaver]

11. Looks like it'll be sooner than later:

"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."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103694193

[elleng]

12. That's SOUTER.

He doesn't like the job, or the place, or something; wants to go home to NH.

No surprise, really, tho too bad for us.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/justices/souter.bio.html

[Hissyspit]

16. This is the shittiest Supreme Court in my lifetime.

Bush's final fuck-you to the country. Congrats America.

Hopefully Obama will do good, but I would expect a centrist.

[cali]

25. Souter has been quite a decent- and thoughtful Justice

And I suspect that Obama will replace him with someone who's quite good.

[Hissyspit]

27. One problem is these justices can go off in a different direction after they are appointed.

[mascarax]

31. I'm glad Souter did!

He exceeded expectations...and I am very grateful for his position.
Don't think he was what George H.W. Bush expected.

Scalia, Thomas, etc. will hang on as long as possible...<shudder>

[Hissyspit]

33. True. Scalia, Thomas and the Shrub appointees are the reason Obama needs to go with

a liberal progressive. There are plenty of liberal progressives who are great judges and great scholars.

We shall see.

[DCKit]

98. How many times do we have to have our noses rubbed by the old saw...

"Only the Good Die Young"?

The truly evil always seem to live beyond their capacity to do real harm - just so their continued existence can remind us of their dubious accomplishments.

[cali]

39. name one justice named by a dem president who went in a different direction

once on the SC.

[Hissyspit]

44. Byron White to some extent.

But, yes, it is much more of a Repub appointment phenomena.

I'm not arguing that Obama will make a bad choice. But his choice is critical and the proof will be in the pudding.

[jefferson_dem]

32. Yes, he has been a solid member of the court's left wing.

And his decency was illustrated in the fact that he, no doubt, waited to retire until we had a Dem in the White House ... as there has been talk of Souter being burned out for a few years now.

[The Stranger]

82. It better fucking not be a centrist -- with +/- 60 in the Senate?

I want a powerful Well-to-the-Left intellectual, like a William Brennan.

I mean, come the fuck on, people. We have got to fight for this.

[Sebastian Doyle]

13. Obama needs to find the youngest and most liberal judge on the planet.

and any "democrat" who does not vote for confirmation will be euthanized at sunrise the next morning.

And if the Repukes question qualifications remind them that Opie Roberts never saw the front end of ANY courtroom until 2003.

[Jane Eyre]

24. Amen

I wish it was Scalia, but at least it is a chance to put a younger person on the court. That's exactly what Bush did and now we're stuck with a bunch of rightwingers for the next 40 or more years.

I can't help but think that Souter waited until it looked like a fillibuster-proof Senate was in place. Remember the "up-or-down vote" threat from the Republicans in the Senate last time? Well, payback's a bitch. They don't even need to think about trying to keep an "up-or-down vote" from happening...

[mr_liberal]

49. Republicans wont fillibuster this.

Its just going to be a liberal for a liberal. Theres actually a small chance that Obama picks someone more conservative than Souter; you cant get a whole lot more liberal than Souter is.

[uncle ray]

70. you're assuming the repubs use logic.

they are going to filibuster ANY nomination to the SC.

[Canuckistanian]

38. Amen to that

Are there any ACLU lawyers that could qualify?

[harun]

79. That about sums up the mission.

[The Stranger]

83. Fucking A.

I'm with that 1000%.

[glitch]

97. Hear hear.

And that goes for any other retiree. Absolutely no excuse not too, especially considering how far right, young and healthy Roberts and Alito are.

[jefferson_dem]

15. Wow. That's a surprise.

I hope and expect President Obama to do the right thing and reach for a dependable (as far as these can be dependable - just ask repugs about Souter) progressive-thinking jurist. After all, he's working with the largest balance-of-power margin in the Senate in over eighty years.

[elleng]

20. And make it a woman.

Justice Ginsberg is 'lonely.'

[jefferson_dem]

22. Funny. I just posted a thread in GD-P about this.

You might be interested in who I recommend. :)

[blue_onyx]

28. I think Obama will probably pick a woman

According to the Washington Post, these are some likely options:

Sonia Sotomayor,
Diane P. Wood
Elena Kagan
Leah Ward Sears
Jennifer M. Granholm


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/05/AR2008100502178_2.html?sub=AR&sid=ST2008100502277&s_pos&s_pos=

[bottomtheweaver]

30. Is Angela Davis eligible?

Seriously, let's get somebody with a clear view of reality in there.

[mr_liberal]

50. It better not be Granholm.

She's for censoring video games.

[blue_onyx]

54. She would be an excellent choice

[mr_liberal]

60. Her attacks on video games makes me think

she's not dependable on free speech. She wouldn't have much influence on other justices either. She just would not bring the intellectual heft that we need. We need somebody that will kick Scalias ass, and influence the other justices. Granholm could not do that.

[blue_onyx]

89. "would not bring the intellectual heft ."

You're kidding, right? She is certainly smart and qualified enough to be a justice.

[Zuiderelle]

81. Granholm would be a great choice, but she has too much to do right now.

[blue_onyx]

90. I agree

It could be beneficial to have John Cherry become governor before the 2010 election but I still want Granholm to finish her term. There will be a lot going on in MI during 2009 and want her here to deal with it.

[okieinpain]

92. I really like sonia, she looks like a really, really, great pick. n/t

[CatWoman]

17. here's the NPR Link

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103694193

[mike_c]

23. thanks-- I updated the OP....

:hi:

[IndianaGreen]

18. We may have an 8-person SCOTUS for quite some time

GOP heads are exploding!

[quakerboy]

19. Hmm.

Thats one. How many do you think during Obamas first term?

[glitch]

26. Five.

I mean really, would you want to work with Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas? It's above and beyond, I don't even like reading about them.

[quakerboy]

43. 5 in the first?

That would be singularly impressive. How many in the second term?

[glitch]

62. 4 :) nt

[quakerboy]

69. going for a clean sweep

I can dig it.

[glitch]

88. Some because they really deserve retirement.

Others because they really deserve impeachment.

[blueclown]

29. Harold Koh and Elena Kagan should be choices #1 and #2.

The President has a chance to knock this pick out of the park. No corporate shills, President Obama!

[okieinpain]

94. kagan looks great, she even clerked for thurgood marshall, but i'm

still saying Sonia Sotomayor. man I'm sure glad it obama and not palin picking the justice.

[iowa_democrat]

34. Dang!

Too bad Hillary has a job alread. it would be great to see a few more right wing heads explode!

[MidwestTransplant]

35. the beauty of 60 votes.

[thatsrightimirish]

36. the whole liberal bloc should retire

thanks for torturing the republicans all these years David Souter!

[Ozymanithrax]

37. Obama will not nominate a firebrand liberal.

It will be someone who is a moderate.

The right will still go insane.

[Dinger]

I Say He Will (nt)

[Dinger]

52. I Say He Will (nt)

[Posteritatis]

63. Bah, he could nominate someone who makes Scalia look communist and they'd still go nuts (nt)

[Ozymanithrax]

64. Yes, they will go nuts.

But I think he will choose some who is moderate and left of center. Someone with impecable credentials. But it won't be someone that will be a real progressive. As long as the guy is no more right wing the Souter, it will be good. Bush I put Souter on the brnch.

[okieinpain]

95. no shit, they won't be happy unless he picks someone to the right

of bork.

[TankLV]

42. Obama: Nominate BILL CLINTON!!!

that should have a nice speedy confirmation!

[Ozymanithrax]

46. It would be fun to watch,...

But I think Judge Marjorie Rendell has a better shot.

[mr_liberal]

45. Its good that Obama will get to

put somebody on the court young, but I'm actually concerned that he picks somebody as good as Souter. Souter has been an excellent justice. And Justices can turn out to be surprises. Like for instance Breyer, who has not been as good as I would have hoped. I have very little doubt though that Obama will pick someone good.

I predict Ginsburg will be next to retire before the end of Obama's first term. If he gets a second term then he'll very likely replace Stevens too (Stevens could possibly retire during his first term, but I doubt it). And theres an outside chance of replacing Kennedy too in a second term. Thats the only way Obama would have a chance to change the makeup of the court though. Otherwise he'll just be replacing liberals for liberals.

[Doctor_J]

53. that means the court will have only 8 members next term

the GOP won't confirm anyone that O nominates, and scary Harry won't make them.

[cali]

58. baloney. he'll nominate someone speedily

and Leahy will usher whoever it is through the JC. On the floor, Snowe and Collins will vote with the dems.

[Hawaii Hiker]

55. Now we all know damn well had McCain won, he would have sought the

furthest conservative he could find....Hell, he said as much last year..

Please Mr. President:

Pick. A. Young. Liberal. Justice.

[BanTheGOP]

59. Nothing personal...

But I hope that Stevens and Ginsburg retires as well. I know Ginsburg wants to work into her 80's, and Stevens has been a stalwart, but jesus H fuck, he's 89.

We MUST replace them with progressive-socialists who are NO OLDER than their mid-thirties. With a super majority, we can essentially create an extremely left litmus test. We can insure that the justice will ALWAYS rule in favor of economic justice, stringent environment regulations, african-american reparations, securing a maximum wage and repatriation of stolen private wages, the elimination of automobiles and private commercial aviation, schooling K through Masters, and the elimination of republican party politics, including all their political and criminal ideals.

We need them to retire while we have our super majority in the congress. We cannot risk the republicans stealing any senate seats in 2010 and then bollixing up the works.

[DrCory]

87. What Is Progressive...

About eliminating automobiles?

[fujiyama]

56. It's been rumored for some time

he dislikes DC and has wanted to go back to NH.

I wish him all the best. He's been a great SC justice and his making republican heads explode all these years has been priceless!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

61. He's a hero for waiting til now

all th eliberal justices who stuck it out through chimpy are, for denying the GOP the chance to install yet more radical idealogues

[mr_liberal]

65. Thats what conservatives get for attacking republican justices

that dont pass their purity tests. Theyve been attakcing Stevens and Kennedy too. I wouldnt be surprised at all if those two retire for Democrats too.

[The Stranger]

85. If Sandra Day O'Connor could only have held out longer.

We wouldn't be stuck with one of either Roberts or Alito.

[lakercub]

66. I hope Ginsburg and Breyer retire during Obama's term too

I like them both and have agreed with them far more often then I've disagreed with them. But they are both in their 70's and now is the time to replace them with justices who have a shot at getting to 2030. A 48 yr old would be 69 in 2030.

Also Stevens and Kennedy are extremely likely to retire during Obama's term..especially if he goes 8 years (Stevens is 89 years old). This would allow him to potentially replace 5 justices with 5 who could be on the court for over 20 years each. What would really put a stake through heart of the righties is if Scalia retires too. He is also 73 right now. If Obama could get 6 justices then we might actually have social justice on the court for the first time in a while.

Thomas, Alito, and Roberts are going to be there for another decade (at least) I'm afraid, but 6 Obama appointees could really change the tone of the court for years to come and completely dilute the harm Bush did.

On a different note, I wonder if some of these older justices weren't holding out as long as possible to avoid another Bush appointment. It is actually interesting that Scalia didn't retire. His retirement would have given Bush an opportunity to put another young psychotic on the court.

[someone else]

67. Black, young, progressive n/t

[Tx4obama]

68. Possibilities

1) Sonia Sotomayor - Hispanic female - judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
2) Elena Kagan - female - the current solicitor general who represents the government before the Supreme Court
3) Kathleen Sullivan - female (gay)
4) Diane Wood - female - federal judge in Chicago who taught at the University of Chicago at the same time future President Barack Obama was teaching constitutional law there
5) Harold Hongju Koh - Asian male

[pstokely]

71. Will there be a Justice Sunday IV?

Another crappy sequel

[Bushknew]

72. jonathan turley

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x305954

[Alexander]

73. Well thank heavens we have President Obama picking his replacement.

I'd shudder to think of the horrifying choices McCain would come up with.

[JCMach1]

74. Two words: GO LEFT

I want the anti-Scalia

[No Elephants]

77. Make sure you make your voice heard ASAP!

[The Stranger]

86. Five words: GO FAR TO THE LEFT

We have ground to make up here. Someone along the lines of a William Brennan.

[okieinpain]

93. in this case and what looks like a 60 count senate, I agree.

[mvd]

96. That would be great!

I'm not getting my hopes up, though. I expect a good nomination, but I don't expect someone that might be controversial. On the other hand, I knew that openings would occur, and I sure am glad McCain isn't in!

Two more words: if the Repukes give us nothing but obstruction, go nuke!

[No Elephants]

76. We owe Souter a great deal, including for retiring when a Democrat will appoint his successor.

[Dinger]

84. Seal Al Now

There's no way there should be a confirmation hearing without Senator Franken, NO WAY!

[rdmtimp]

99. Why oh why couldn't it be...

Don Antonio Scalia leaving.

Or better yet - Clarence the Bug-Eyed Horndog.