Infinite Monkeys

Rehnquist is Dead, The Republic is in Peril (UPDATED)

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist is dead after a year-long battle with thyroid cancer. Rehnquist died at home tonight, surrounded by his children.

Obviously, Rehnquist's death comes at a terribly difficult time in our nation's history. A major American city is mostly under water. A swath of our territory slightly larger than the state of Idaho is more or less destroyed. A highly contentious confirmation for another justice is a few days from getting underway. Barring a revelation of some terribly perverse nature, Roberts' elevation to the court is all the more imperative now.

President Bush is weakened by a series of disasters not entirely of his making. But we cannot deny these are perilous times in our politics. The quarreling will begin before Rehnquist's body is cold...

UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt offers an eloquent paean to Rehnquist and the genius of 1789. Oh, and he hopes Bush names Michael Luttig to the chief's seat.

Paul Mirengoff at Powerline laments the passing of a giant, but notes ruefully that "it's a bit misleading to refer to" the Rehnquist Court. "If Nixon, Reagan and Bush-I done a better job picking Justices, the Rehnquist court would have been a fitting memorial to the man." Oh, Mirengoff thinks Luttig is a good pick, too.

Posted by AnonyMonkey at September 3, 2005 09:39 PM | TrackBack