# SCOTUS - Seat Open **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 1, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692 "2005-07-01T14:34:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/1 "2005-07-01T14:34:41Z")
Yes, O’connor resigns. Shit hits fan. Politics in USA to somehow get uglier. [And away we go…](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/01/AR2005070100650_pf.html) -Joe, contemplating total news blackout for the next 8 months ---
**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:** [July 1, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/2 "2005-07-01T14:36:47Z")
Aw, fuck. Daniel who never thought he’d mourn the resignation of a Reagan appointee ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/3 "2005-07-01T14:37:46Z")
Wow. That’s the very one that will stir up the most shit in Congress. Brace yourselves for lots of hostility. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/4 "2005-07-01T14:39:08Z")
By the way, Monky-in-Chief is going to squawk at 11:15 ET, mercifully sparing us from a prime-time interruption. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/5 "2005-07-01T14:39:51Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Wow. That’s the very one that will stir up the most shit in Congress. Brace yourselves for lots of hostility. Pretty much. I’m guessing our nuclear option will be invoked by mid-December. Maybe we can go for a pool? Whomever is closest gets the pot? -Joe, won’t know if he wins or loses with the blackout ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/6 "2005-07-01T14:40:48Z")
I was wondering if one the associate justices would resign before Rehnquist. Well, this should be interesting. I wonder how much time any nominee will spend being filibustered and how much lower the people’s opinion of Congress will sink as it goes on. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/7 "2005-07-01T14:41:52Z")
George Carlin for Supreme Court Justice! ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/8 "2005-07-01T14:43:15Z")
Hoo boy. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/9 "2005-07-01T14:44:44Z")
Anyone know why? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/10 "2005-07-01T14:46:17Z")
Ok, so bring me up to speed here, which way did she tilt? Was she lib or con? ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/11 "2005-07-01T14:46:56Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Anyone know why? Because she’s 75. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/12 "2005-07-01T14:47:00Z")
Swing, but more often conservative. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/13 "2005-07-01T14:47:20Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Ok, so bring me up to speed here, which way did she tilt? Was she lib or con? She was bi-curious. Conservative but swung the other way too. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/14 "2005-07-01T14:47:59Z")
The _Kelo_ decision must have really pissed her off. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/15 "2005-07-01T14:48:10Z")
Pretty conservative, but she swung the other way on many occassions. ---
**Author:** ![CapnPitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/16 "2005-07-01T14:51:46Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Politics in USA to somehow get uglier. Yep, just when you thought the divisions couldn’t get any deeper. I didn’t expect this 'til at least next year. You want fireworks for the 4th? Here’s yer political fireworks. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/17 "2005-07-01T14:53:20Z")
This is probably why Rehnquist’s retirement has not been announced yet. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/18 "2005-07-01T14:53:46Z")
Thanks, now I know to be depressed. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/19 "2005-07-01T14:55:00Z")
Strategy time. Bush will throw up a nominee that is totally unacceptable as a red herring. This will force the Democrats to sputter and bitch and eventually decide that, yes indeedy, this is an “extraordinary circumstance”. Bush lets the shit hit the fan for a while and then the nominee withdraws, citing how unreasonable the Democrats are being. Then, Bush nominates the person he wanted in the first place. The Democrats will be reluctant to fight back a second time for fear of looking unreasonable and obstructionist. That would be my evil plan anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Violaceous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Miss\_Violaceous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Violaceous)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692/20 "2005-07-01T14:56:52Z")
She’s not only swing, she’s swing on ABORTION. I am interning with a capital defense office. A motion for a liquid lunch has been passed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-seat-open/310692.md?page=2)