SCOTUS has a new vacancy.

The Chief Justice of the United States has died. William H. Rehnquist died earlier this evening (or late, depending how you look at it) from cancer. He was 80 years old. I came home to see the bad news displayed over my news feeds on the computer. It’s hardly surprising. For those who actually know of the CJ, we knew that he was nearing the end. The real surprise was that he continued to serve until his death. I had honestly expected him to step down after 2004 elections. My secret wish was that he would retire and Justice O’Connor would have been elevated. Sadly, she is gone too.

So now that he is gone, President Bush has two vacant seats to fill. John Roberts seems to be all but sworn in. The real fight is going to be for Rehnquist’s seat. Is President Bush going to elevate one of the sitting justices? If so, it would most likely be Justices Scalia or Thomas. One of the pundits predicted that the President Bush would actually choose a CJ from outside the court. If that is the case, I will be disappointed. I just feel that a CJ should have been an Associate Justice for at least some part of his/her career.

It will be interesting to come back in 2008 and look back at Bush’s choices and how they turned out. Still, R.I.P. William Rehnquist.