If he is a Rehnquist, that would not be a cause for exultation in my book, but it would not be a cause for alarm. The court's balance will not be altered. But there is a reasonable danger that he will be like Justice Thomas, the most radical justice on the Supreme Court. It is not that I am certain that he will be a Thomas, it's not even that it's more than 50 percent, but the risk that he might be a Thomas and the lack of any reassurance that he won't, particularly in light of this president's professed desire to nominate people in that mold, is just not good enough. I hope he will not be a Justice Thomas but the risk is too great to bear.
Quotes about rehnquist (16 Quotes)
On affirmative action and Miranda rights, among other things, Rehnquist hasn't gotten everything he wanted,
In the short run, the 'federalism revolution' of the 1990s is undeniably his most significant substantive achievement. But whether these rulings will survive in the long run, or instead be reversed, remains to be seen. It's much more likely that the Rehnquist Court's surprisingly liberal rulings -- on abortion, on gay rights, on gender -- will actually represent the most indelible legacy.
Bill Rehnquist makes Barry Goldwater look like a liberal.
Chief Justice Rehnquist was brilliant at enhancing that position, and Congress has played a major role in adding to the authority of the chief justice. In many respects, Rehnquist changed the job, so that its breadth is greater than it has ever been before.
If you, Judge Roberts, subscribe to the Rehnquist court's restrictive interpretation of Congress's ability to legislate, the impact could be to severely restrict the ability of Congress to tackle nationwide issues that the American people have elected us to address.
If you think about it, the successor to Sandra Day O'Connor should objectively be a lot more controversial than the successor to Chief Justice Rehnquist, ... The successor to Rehnquist . . . won't change the balance of power on these hot-button issues as might Roberts' nomination.
The death of chief justice Rehnquist and the president's nomination of John Roberts raises the stakes for the court and the American people exponentially.
Justice Willett joins a long and distinguished list of previous justices whose appointment to a high court was the first time they put on the robe, including Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson of the Texas Supreme Court, and Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the United States Supreme Court.
I'm confident they've been preparing for the possibility of Chief Justice Rehnquist retiring for quite some time, ... I can only assume they have considered their strategy and will have a nominee ready.
Rehnquist was genuinely popular with his colleagues, as the statements released by the court's public information office vividly conveyed. He was the fairest, most efficient boss I have ever had, ... a brave, intelligent man.
There's no question that Roberts will vote like William Rehnquist... If he swings, it will be from right to far right.
The nation is already reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the Senate should focus its immediate attention on helping the victims of that tragedy. The death of Chief Justice Rehnquist presents an additional reason to adjust the schedule.
With Roberts, there would be an extremely long-term Supreme Court anchor that would go at least as far, and maybe farther, to the right than Rehnquist. And that makes the O'Connor slot all the more important as a balance and swing vote.
There was some promise of a Rehnquist court revolution, and that hasn't happened. I think we were too quick to say that this was the conservative Republican answer to the Warren court.
The other irony is that Roberts is a lifelong advocate of federalism and states' rights. Like his mentor, Rehnquist, he has a narrow view of the commerce clause.