( Potential nominees)įriday, Bush said, "The nation deserves and I will select a Supreme Court justice that Americans can be proud of. In preparation for a high court resignation, the White House previously held secret meetings about possible replacements, and senior officials have interviewed some possible candidates, Bush aides and advisers have said.īush has long been prepared to move very quickly on court vacancies, the White House said. O'Connor has also angered liberals, supporting limits on affirmative action and, in 2000, serving as the swing vote that ended vote counts in the presidential election, giving Bush a victory. ![]() Earlier this week, she sided firmly against Ten Commandments displays in both Texas and Kentucky. She angered social conservatives by re-affirming abortion rights in several abortion-related cases, insisting states place "no undue burden" on those rights. O'Connor has dismissed the swing vote label, telling CNN recently, "That's something the media has devised as a means of writing about the court, and I don't think that has a lot of validity."īut her votes have set the jaws of those on the left and the right. If her replacement is a staunch conservative, the new justice could alter the court's ideological balance and affect decisions on the most contentious issues - including abortion. While Rehnquist falls regularly on conservative sides of issues, O'Connor has been unpredictable. There has been much speculation that Chief Justice William Rehnquist may retire, but O'Connor's move could have an even greater impact. After that notice, Bush and O'Connor had a five-minute phone conversation. On Friday, the president learned O'Connor was the justice who would be retiring, the White House said. On Thursday, Bush received word from the head marshall at the high court that one of the justices would have a letter to deliver the next day. The White House said Bush will announce a nominee after he returns from next week's G8 summit. Within an hour's notice of O'Connor's departure, Bush vowed in brief statement delivered in the Rose Garden to announce a nominee "in a timely manner."Īnd he sent a message to Democratic lawmakers not to filibuster his choice as he called for a "dignified" confirmation process that includes a "fair vote." ![]() Already, conservative and liberal groups have been pushing the White House to fill a potential vacancy with someone who leans toward their points of view. O'Connor's move did not surprise court watchers and portends a tremendous political battle. President Reagan appointed O'Connor who took her seat as associate justice on September 25, 1981. This is the first Supreme Court vacancy since 1994, when President Clinton nominated Stephen Breyer. O'Connor, has been suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's. ![]() Her husband of more than 50 years, John J. In a letter to President Bush, O'Connor said she needed to spend more time with her husband and would leave her post after the confirmation of her successor. The 75-year-old moderate conservative, who was the first woman to serve on the court, has been the swing vote on some of the highest-profile cases - including abortion and vote-counting in the 2000 presidential election. WASHINGTON (CNN) - Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, announced her resignation Friday and launched the high-stakes battle over who will replace her.
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