Rehnquist is dead

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

william rehnquist that is.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:07 (nineteen years ago)

did i spell his name right? yeah, i think i did.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:07 (nineteen years ago)

Holy shit, it's ON.

― Hunter (Hunter), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:11 (nineteen years ago)

Christ, how much can one country handle? We're already losing track of the whole Iraq constitution thingy. Couldn't he have waited for a slow news week?

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:15 (nineteen years ago)

God help us

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:20 (nineteen years ago)

rip

― gear (gear), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:21 (nineteen years ago)

Just when you think things can't get much worse...

― O'so Krispie (Ex Leon), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:25 (nineteen years ago)

Not that I can imagine a nominee that would be any more conservative than Rehnquist was already, but still.

― O'so Krispie (Ex Leon), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:26 (nineteen years ago)

Bush will find one.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:27 (nineteen years ago)

Tom, delete - oh, forget it.

― k/l (Ken L), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:28 (nineteen years ago)

are they gonna retire his batshit special robes

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:32 (nineteen years ago)

Rehnquist also created a unique robe for himself as Chief Justice in 1994. It has four golden bars on each sleeve. In the past, Chief Justices had not dressed differently from any of the Associate Justices. Rehnquist's robe was modeled after a robe he had seen in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta Iolanthe, first staged in London in 1882. The costume that inspired Chief Justice Rehnquist, an acknowledged Gilbert and Sullivan fan, is worn by the Lord Chancellor, a character called upon to settle a dispute among a colony of fairies. (from his wiki)

― renegade bus (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:33 (nineteen years ago)

I'm flattered. I'd make my robes *all* sparkly gold, though.

-- Ned Raggett (ne...), March 18th, 2002.

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:34 (nineteen years ago)

But what would he be wearing under his robes, one wonders...

-- Ned Raggett (ne...), February 23rd, 2003.

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:34 (nineteen years ago)

O! the rustle of their noiseless little robes!

-- Ned Raggett (ne...), November 30th, 2004.

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:34 (nineteen years ago)

look for when it's nothing but a series of quick cuts showing little more than Rehnquist's swirling black robes, light sabers and bits of the desert background. It's pure visual poetry.

-- Ned Raggett (ne...), April 7th, 2002.

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:35 (nineteen years ago)

i just had a farewell party for my rights.

― tehRZA gibbons (tehresa), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:35 (nineteen years ago)

Chief Ned The Robes Raggett!

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:35 (nineteen years ago)

How did he decide that 4 stripes was the proper number? I woulda put on like, 12, and been all "take that shit, eh"! And how could he forego epaulettes? Epaulettes are cool.

― Hunter (Hunter), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:36 (nineteen years ago)

What is not as widely known is that underneath the robes he wore a belt embroidered with the motto T.C.B. in a Flash.

(massive x-post)

― k/l (Ken L), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:37 (nineteen years ago)

http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/rehnquist_1.jpg http://www.electricferret.com/battle/contenders/thanos_1.jpg

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:38 (nineteen years ago)

uhm, any of you guys got friends in vancouver?

no reason... just askin', is all.

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

I'm just intruiged as to why people are claiming doomsday because William Rehnquist of all people is dead. Did everyone forget exactly what it was he did as a justice?

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

As always, we are waiting for you to educate us, Alan.

― k/l (Ken L), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:40 (nineteen years ago)

uhm, not completely cede all power to the Executive Branch, like Roberts is in favor of?

xpost

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:40 (nineteen years ago)

no i was making fun of his gay robes

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:41 (nineteen years ago)

>uhm, not completely cede all power to the Executive Branch, like Roberts is in favor of?<

He was against Roe Vs. Wade and desegregation. How the hell is Bush going to make the court lean anymore to the right?

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:41 (nineteen years ago)

i think it's a little late in the game to call FOR segregation now, but who knows?

― renegade bus (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:42 (nineteen years ago)

The White House sure timed that one well.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:43 (nineteen years ago)

To be rather crude, politically speaking, the death of Rehnquist means "a younger Scalia or Rehnquist" to replace him at worst.. which is really the same thing. This does, however, crush the hope that Rehnquist would have passed away during the terms of a better president. So, this isn't an "all is doomed" thing at all, as much as a "ah well, replace a creepy guy with another creepy person. Only if.. *shrug*"

Sorry if I'm not shedding any tears.

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:43 (nineteen years ago)

WASHINGTON - Supreme Court nominee John Roberts disparaged state efforts to combat discrimination against women in Reagan-era documents made public Thursday, and wondered whether "encouraging homemakers to become lawyers contributes to the common good."

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:43 (nineteen years ago)

>i think it's a little late in the game to call FOR segregation now, but who knows?<

My point is he was already a clear and obvious conservative judge. Look at his record, for godsakes. People acting like its the end of the world because George Bush is going to appoint someone EXACTLY LIKE William Rehnquist are losing it.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

cmon the man is dead lets focus on the good times- "The State's interest in protecting public figures from emotional distress is not sufficient to deny First Amendment protection to speech that is patently offensive and is intended to inflict emotional injury when that speech could not reasonably have been interpreted as stating actual facts about the public figure involved."

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

Very interesting. As Trife noted, I want the robes so I can be FAAAAAAAAABULOUS.

Sorry if I'm not shedding any tears.

Quite. If this had happened in late January I'd be a lot more immediately worried. Now, however...now I'm not so sure at all.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:46 (nineteen years ago)

Results 1 - 10 of about 109,000,000 for end times. (0.28 seconds)

― Jimmy Mod Loves Alan Canseco (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:46 (nineteen years ago)

I forgot about the days me and rehnquist used to throw oranges at cars and freestyle at the minimalls.

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:46 (nineteen years ago)

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. worked behind the scenes for gay rights activists, and his legal expertise helped them persuade the Supreme Court to issue a landmark 1996 ruling protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:47 (nineteen years ago)

we're afraid he'll appoint someone worse.

― renegade bus (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:47 (nineteen years ago)

rehnquist was also reluctantly tolerant of gay rights

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:48 (nineteen years ago)

we worry about Bush's, um, judgement sometimes.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:49 (nineteen years ago)

Rehnquist and Roberts were lovers. I read it on-line. thus, true.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:49 (nineteen years ago)

man i wish kerry was president right now

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:49 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know who he'd appoint that would be. All Rehnquist was gonna do is basically rubberstamp whatever GW wanted him to.

You know what, screw it. I'm not gonna bother anymore. I'm gonna hold my hands outstreched for China so that when they become the world's dominant military and economic power, maybe I won't be as completely run over as everyone else on the planet. I just don't care anymore.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:50 (nineteen years ago)

Sorry if I'm not shedding any tears.
C'mon donut, you can't tell me you didn't glaze over just a little bit.

― k/l (Ken L), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:50 (nineteen years ago)

what do we think about clinton-appointed justice breyer? bad record on 1st amendement shit but i dunno too much about the rest

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:51 (nineteen years ago)

clinton's 'you thought i was gonna... but then i...' strikes again

― 3, Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:52 (nineteen years ago)

rehnquist was also reluctantly tolerant of gay rights

WTF are you talking about?

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:52 (nineteen years ago)

aw come on.. it's obvious Bush is going to nominate Angela Davis! I think you guys are just giving up on him now. Turn that frown upside down!

*sorry if I'm being facetious here, but there's still people stewing on cement somewhere in the south about to become rat food*

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:52 (nineteen years ago)

*im out*

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

i heard that roberts is already saying that he will tailor his robes to look like the costume worn by his favorite character in Show Boat.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 4 September 2005 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 23 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Renkwist Soda!

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Sunday, 4 September 2005 03:18 (nineteen years ago)

the supreme court's website totally sux.

is it assumed that scalia bush's choice for chief justice? cuz if so...oh, man. i dunno... wtf...

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Sunday, 4 September 2005 03:43 (nineteen years ago)

It's the logical one that's coming to mind, yeah.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 September 2005 03:50 (nineteen years ago)

ughhhhhhhh

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Sunday, 4 September 2005 03:53 (nineteen years ago)

My completely unreliable and probably worthless prediction is that Bush will switch up, nominate Roberts as chief justice, and then slide in Gonzales as O'Connor's replacement.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Sunday, 4 September 2005 03:59 (nineteen years ago)

Gonzales is actually who leapt to mind as well as the next potential nominee, yeah.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 September 2005 04:00 (nineteen years ago)

I am kinda wondering how this will affect when the court returns in October -- will they hang at eight for a while as decisions are made, potentially resulting in four/four splits? (Keeping in mind that even if Roberts is confirmed by then it still leaves it at eight since O'Connor is only leaving when her replacement is confirmed.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 September 2005 04:02 (nineteen years ago)

The no-filibuster agreement was dependent upon 'extreme circumstances', was it not? Even in the hazy world of politics I'd have to say this counts.

I'd like to see it hang at eight for a while.

― Evanston Wade (EWW), Sunday, 4 September 2005 04:10 (nineteen years ago)

(Keeping in mind that even if Roberts is confirmed by then it still leaves it at eight since O'Connor is only leaving when her replacement is confirmed.)

But if Bush makes Roberts the designated replacement for Rehnquist, and convinces Sandra to stick around a few months until they can get one for her, then they can maintain a full bench.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Sunday, 4 September 2005 04:30 (nineteen years ago)

(Roberts makes way more sense, philosophically, as a replacement for Rehnquist than for O'Connor. The risk for Bush politically is that doing that might piss off the hard right, who thought they were getting a hard-right guy to replace the soft-right O'Connor. If they're just getting an even trade, they won't be so happy.)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Sunday, 4 September 2005 04:33 (nineteen years ago)

Lotsa ifs right now. Keep in mind that, oh, say, as compared to maybe a hurricane or something, I'm sure BushCo has *long* thought out what to do if Rehnquist simply died in office as was the case here. The timing they did not expect, however, and now they must scramble a bit with hilarious consequences! (This last part might not apply.)

Bush will be presumed to be granted some time to name a new nominee in any event, as was the case with O'Connor. Indeed, Katrina will be a handy excuse -- "He's got to concentrate on what's happening right now!" So the waters get muddier.

If nothing else, the Roberts confirmation hearings are now going to occur in an atmosphere much different even than a week ago. If you had told BushCo in mid-July when he nominated Roberts, "Here's the circumstances in which the hearings will take place," the result would have been incredulity.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 September 2005 04:36 (nineteen years ago)

-- Alan Conceicao (deadandrestles...), September 4th, 2005.

Don't be afraid of the china-man, li'l nigga. We're very nice and don't eat much. In fact, I hear you italians like our noodles so very much, yes? Perhaps you likee me flied lice?

― Jimmy Mod Loves Alan Canseco (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Sunday, 4 September 2005 04:40 (nineteen years ago)

Jimmy, I'm now imagining you saying "You don't like my rice?" like Chow Yun-Fat in A Better Tomorrow II.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 September 2005 04:56 (nineteen years ago)

Dude, you just quoted A Better Tomorrow II.

― President Busch (dr g), Sunday, 4 September 2005 05:36 (nineteen years ago)

My apologies. I will now only quote PowerPuff Girls episodes in future.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 September 2005 05:38 (nineteen years ago)

Much appreciated.

― President Busch (dr g), Sunday, 4 September 2005 05:41 (nineteen years ago)

And now all is love.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 September 2005 05:52 (nineteen years ago)

Now that's closure.

Lock it down.

― shanecavanaugh (shanecavanaugh), Sunday, 4 September 2005 06:24 (nineteen years ago)

― j blount (papa la bas), Sunday, 4 September 2005 06:32 (nineteen years ago)

Man, Rehnquist was a pip. Even his death pisses me off. I thought I would be happy when he finally kicked it. His timing couldn't be worse.

I took a class from the man at law school. He taught a course in the history of the Supreme Court at the University of Arizona law school that gave him a platform to espouse his favorite pet theories about prior justices and their jurisprudence. I thought he was a fatuous gasbag, albeit a scholarly one.

It was 2003 when I took his course. I sat in the front row for the entire 4 weeks of the seminar with my laptop aimed right at him. On the lid of my laptop is a bumpersticker I made that says "Fuck Bush" in big red letters. Underneath that it cites a famous free speech case Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15, which upheld a young man's right to enter a court house with a jacket that read "Fuck the Draft". The case is famous for the line "one man's obscenity is another man's lyric", and of course for establishing my constitutional right to tell that old fucker Rehnquist my feelings about his Presidential appointee.

I tell you, he called on me every time he thought he might catch me out and embarass me in front of the class. Never touched me, though he and I had some rather barbed exchanges.

― Michael Bryan, Sunday, 4 September 2005 06:44 (nineteen years ago)

Dude, more stories please! This thread has gotten REALLY interesting.. and very possibly constructive. Rarely do I (or we?) get a chance to hear about someone past second hand via a first degree poster. Michael, I'll buy you the beer.

Blount currently holds the pwn3r-of-this-thread crown, btw.

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Sunday, 4 September 2005 07:06 (nineteen years ago)

otherwise my "OMG A SCUMFUCK JUDGE JUST DIED AND HE'S GONNA BE REPLACED BY PROBABLY ANOTHER SCUMFUCK JUDGE" ho-hum still stands. Yeah, I wish this had happened under a better future president too. But unless someone can bankroll O'Connor to stick it out until 2009, the status quo remains.

In any case, when Scalia goes, at least there will be no bad side to it.

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Sunday, 4 September 2005 07:09 (nineteen years ago)

more stories plz totally!

― j blount (papa la bas), Sunday, 4 September 2005 07:15 (nineteen years ago)

the closest thing that i have to a rehnquist story: my crim. procedure professor was a law clerk to justice o'connor in the early 80s (when rehnquist was "merely" an associate justice). professor used to smoke cigarettes back then, as did justice rehnquist -- and justice rehnquist would bum smokes from law clerks ALL THE TIME. keep in mind that supreme court clerks don't get paid all that much (as prestigious a gig as it is), while associate court justices did (and still do) get paid at least twice as much as their law clerks.

anyway, as disrespectful as it may seem, i can't say that i am terribly sad about this news either. rehnquist was a thoroughly awful human being as well as being a thoroughly awful judge -- i will elaborate in some later post, after i get some sleep or something.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 4 September 2005 07:27 (nineteen years ago)

oh hell, here's the outline about how awful he was: this was a man who (a) when he was law clerk to justice jackson in the 50s, wrote a bench memorandum in favor of upholding plessy v. ferguson (and, ergo, segregation) when brown v. topeka board of education was before the court; (b) during the mid 60s, served as a "poll-watcher" in AZ just after the passage of the voting rights act (read: he tried to intimidate black people out of exercising their hard-fought right to vote); (c) even richard nixon thought that he was a hack and a creep (the nixon tapes = the gift that keeps on giving).

these are just a few reasons why i am not sad for this man's passing.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 4 September 2005 07:33 (nineteen years ago)

is it assumed that scalia bush's choice for chief justice?

note that Sen. Harry Reid was openly supporting this earlier this year, b/c he knows exactly how fucked & divisive(with written arguements of the weakest sauce) a C.J. Scalia would be.

and hahahaha to blount's montage and yet another request for Michael for more stories.

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Sunday, 4 September 2005 08:29 (nineteen years ago)

...dead serious about the HMS Pinafore
http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/rehnquist_1.jpg

― uncategorized, Sunday, 4 September 2005 11:34 (nineteen years ago)

Does Pat Robertson have a good alibi?

"This is the same Pat Robertson who has urged his flock to pray for a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy "one way or the other."

― j.lu (j.lu), Sunday, 4 September 2005 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

>Don't be afraid of the china-man, li'l nigga. We're very nice and don't eat much. In fact, I hear you italians like our noodles so very much, yes? Perhaps you likee me flied lice?<

Where are the italians? I'll make sure to pass on the info to them if I see them.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Sunday, 4 September 2005 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/09/03/obituaries/04rehnquist.1843.jpg

― Sym Sym (sym), Monday, 5 September 2005 00:18 (nineteen years ago)

Roberts has been nominated for post as chief juistice. CNN reports.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 5 September 2005 10:58 (nineteen years ago)

That's basically the chief justice post locked down for a generation, no?

― Ed (dali), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:08 (nineteen years ago)

Well, that's one step higher than anticipated.. He might have nominated his old college roomate or his brother. God what a (for lack of more appropriate term) fucking douchebag.

― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Monday, 5 September 2005 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

I bet Scalia's pissed...

― carson dial (carson dial), Monday, 5 September 2005 13:13 (nineteen years ago)

can you just nominate a guy with not so much experience STRAIGHT to the chief justice chair?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 5 September 2005 13:22 (nineteen years ago)

I heard speculation about this on NPR yesterday. Even if Bush wanted Thomas or Scalia to be chief justice, that would call for another confirmation hearing. Since there is going to be another vacancy on the court and there would be two confirmation hearings already, it would make things easier on Bush to nominate Roberts and eliminate the need for a third confirmation hearing. It sounds very lazy, but this is Bushco we're talking about.

― O'so Krispie (Ex Leon), Monday, 5 September 2005 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

Heh, how appropriate indeed. Of course, that just means *these* hearings now ramp up even higher. Crazy as well as lazy.

― Ned elsewhere (rogermexico), Monday, 5 September 2005 14:47 (nineteen years ago)

Who?

― SRH (Skrik), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:28 (nineteen years ago)

There's plenty of precedent for naming a new justice straight to the chief seat. Both Earl Warren and Warren Burger, e.g.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 5 September 2005 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

just got word that Roberts hearings will be postponed, possibly beginning on Thursday now but more likely beginning a week from today.

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 5 September 2005 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

oh man, talk about open political war now...

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Monday, 5 September 2005 17:29 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno about that. The Dems might be more likely to hold their fire with him replacing Rehnquist than O'Connor. I mean, they'll put him through his paces and everything, but the stakes aren't as high replacing one conservative ideologue with another. The big fight from all sides will be over the second nominee.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 5 September 2005 18:31 (nineteen years ago)

I'm hoping that Bush decides to go with Alberto Gonzalez. If there's a moderate/liberal in sheep's clothing that could slip into the position (and its happened before), I would imagine it to be him.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Monday, 5 September 2005 18:34 (nineteen years ago)

i dunno; Gonzalez is a bit too torture-prone for me

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Monday, 5 September 2005 18:54 (nineteen years ago)

It is a sad statement that liberals see Mr. Torture as a possibly preferable choice. If the bar of expectations gets any lower, we'll need a divining rod to find it.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 5 September 2005 19:15 (nineteen years ago)

Well, hey, Justice O'Connor was a Reagan nominee, so there's always hope. It would be pretty ironic if the Bush nominee to take her place turned out to be as much of a centrist.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Monday, 5 September 2005 19:20 (nineteen years ago)

I'm thinking Bush may look for someone conservative, maybe pro-life .. but when push comes to shove, he's really looking for someone to make sure he stays rich.

― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Monday, 5 September 2005 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

Since J-Robb is going to be Chief Justice, Edith Clement is a shoo-in for O'Connor's position:

-Bush isn't going to appoint two white guys.
-She's moderate enough to get approved by both sides but is still conservative-leaning.
-She's from LOUISIANA. DING DING f'ing DING.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:33 (nineteen years ago)

Gonzalez might be a bit more moderate on some issues than people realise, but in any sort of sane/just world his part in that torture memo thing should basically disqualify him flat out.

but since it is this world we're in, Bush will nominate, and the Democrats won't even fight it very hard.

― plebian plebs (plebian), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:29 (nineteen years ago)

Has anyone here cracked the joke about him actually dying in late August, but the government taking a week to notice and do anything about it?

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:07 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.