“I was appointed by a Republican and will retire under a Republican”
This is what Justice Stevens is rumored to have said off the record.
I’ve heard this rumor as well, along with the one that has Stevens stepping down after this term is over. But blogging has taught me that these rumors (even those attested to by “extremely reliable” sources 
) often don’t pan out; so take this post for what it is worth: sheer speculation.
I will say this though: If Stevens does retire from the Court this summer, get ready for the political battle to end all political battles. Seriously, I do not envy the unmitigated hell that the next Supreme Court nominee will be forced to go through. It will make the process leading up to Alito’s confirmation look like a cakewalk.
But the answer, Mr. President (just in case you slept through the Miers debacle) is NOT to nominate an unknown “moderate” of questionable ability to the high Court (again). No sir, it is time to give the dems and penumbra lovers the bayonet and reverse the course of jurisprudential history by nominating the patron saint of SA. The fight is predetermined, Mr. President, so let’s nominate someone worth fighting over, shall we?
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