# Rehnquist is dead. Let the scretching begin. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 4, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982 "2005-09-04T02:59:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AFAIKnow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@AFAIKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AFAIKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/1 "2005-09-04T02:59:40Z")
This is all we need. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/2 "2005-09-04T03:00:41Z")
Just saw it too. Bush is going to love this. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/3 "2005-09-04T03:04:30Z")
In anticipation of Bush’s as-of-now-unknown nominee, the libs would do well to dust off such phrases as “turn back the clock on civil rights.” ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/4 "2005-09-04T03:10:06Z")
Scretch, scretch scretch… He just missed the all time record for longest on the bench didn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/5 "2005-09-04T03:11:21Z")
Is “scretching” a combination of “screeching” and “wretching”? I didn’t know it was possible to do both at the same time! ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/6 "2005-09-04T03:12:20Z")
My sympathies go out to this man’s family and friends. ---
**Author:** ![AFAIKnow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@AFAIKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AFAIKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/7 "2005-09-04T03:20:23Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Is “scretching” a combination of “screeching” and “wretching”? I didn’t know it was possible to do both at the same time! You post count belies that apparently inexperienced description of the capabilities of the regular dopers here. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/8 "2005-09-04T03:25:21Z")
Ah, but we don’t _have_ a “wretching” smiley on the SDMB! ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/9 "2005-09-04T03:25:26Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Is “scretching” a combination of “screeching” and “wretching”? I didn’t know it was possible to do both at the same time! Either that or it’s scratching while kvetching. Who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/10 "2005-09-04T03:29:42Z")
Wasn’t there a short-lived spin-off from \ ***Save by the Bell** \* that was called _ **Scretch & Screech** _? Twin brothers going off to grad school or something like that? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/11 "2005-09-04T03:32:47Z")
The timing is poor for Bush. I’m sure the administration was hoping to get the Roberts nomination settled before a new struggle arose. Now there will be linkage between Roberts and whoever the new nominee is. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/12 "2005-09-04T03:42:21Z")
Reporters asked him earlier in the summer if he was going to resign. He said, “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.” Oddly enough I guess it really wasn’t for him to know afterall. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/13 "2005-09-04T03:42:50Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > In anticipation of Bush’s as-of-now-unknown nominee, the libs would do well to dust off such phrases as “turn back the clock on civil rights.” back-alley abortions, segregated lunch counters, women won’t be able to vote land, witchs & heritics will be burned at the stake, etc ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/14 "2005-09-04T03:50:24Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > My sympathies go out to this man’s family and friends. Seconded. THere will be time for politics later; let now be for his family. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/15 "2005-09-04T04:00:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Ah, but we don’t have a “wretching” smiley on the SDMB! Do you mean “retching”? If anybody could choose a nominee who would actually make me miss Justice Rehnquist, it would be Bush. And there are still three years and some months to go in Bush’s second term (unless he’s impeached or forced into resignation, or O.D.'s); could even be another vacancy before then. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/16 "2005-09-04T04:02:17Z")
My condolences to his family. Every man’s death diminishes me. I don’t see that this will have that huge an impact on SCOTUS. Bush can be trusted to appoint a far-right winger. Rehnquist was a far-right winger. Therefore the balance stays the same. I’m much more concerned about Roberts. O’Connor turned out to be fairly moderate. I’m not expecting much moderation from Roberts. ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/17 "2005-09-04T04:04:12Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > Do you mean “retching”? > > If anybody could choose a nominee who would actually make me miss Justice Rehnquist, it would be Bush. And there are still three years and some months to go in Bush’s second term (unless he’s impeached or forced into resignation, or O.D.'s); could even be another vacancy before then. You know, that’s really lame. What’s he gonna OD on, pretzels? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/18 "2005-09-04T04:47:40Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > You know, that’s really lame. What’s he gonna OD on, pretzels? Alchohol and cocaine come to mind. Come on, do you _really_ believe he "choked on a pretzel way back when. I rather suspect he fell off the wagon, got drunk and fell over. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/19 "2005-09-04T04:48:22Z")
Damn… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982/20 "2005-09-04T05:01:27Z")
Chief Justice Scalia. _shudder_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rehnquist-is-dead-let-the-scretching-begin/319982.md?page=2)