Court Still Unsettled

Well, the day has come and gone, and still no announcement from Rehnquist. So that means, of course, that now there are rumors about the rumors. Josh Marshall has it on good reportorial authority that the administration is holding the announcement so it can focus on terrorism PR for the weekend. The Raw Story details Robert Novak's reporting about the announcement today, which has not come to pass. Apparently CNN reporters had given up on the expectation of Novak's accuracy earlier this afternoon. When asked about the situation this morning by reporters outside his house, Rehnquist himself commented, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

There's also no new developments on a rumored Stevens retirement. FOX News reports that Stevens hired two new clerks within the past two weeks, which suggests he's intending to hang around for at least a little while longer. But if he's not planning to retire soon, perhaps he should consider it. On tonight's Newshour, David Brooks suggested that a third vacancy might not work to Bush's advantage like we've all assumed: "If there are three . . . I think, then, the country gets nervous--are we seeing too big a shift too soon?--and that, I think, would make the Bush administration have to be more careful" (audio link). That's a twist I hadn't considered.