Sunday, September 04, 2005
Chief Justice Rehnquist
has died. If you thought hurricane Katrina was bad, watch out, because here comes a real storm. For now, we should add his name to the list of the many we are already praying for. His legacy, which will be talked about for some time, includes the impeachment trial of President Clinton, the 2000 election decision, and more. The AP writes:
With his death, we suddenly have more answers than questions. We can only guess at who will replace him, how bloody and brutal a fight it will be, or at the ideology that will follow from the court; but let's hope that the ideals of limited government and conservative philosophy on the bench do not die with him. RIP.
For years he was known as the "Lone Ranger" for his many dissents on a then-liberal court that left him ideologically isolated on the far right. Succeeding appointments of conservative justices and Rehnquist's elevation by President Reagan to the federal judiciary's top job in 1986 transformed his role into one of leading and nurturing an increasingly conservative Supreme Court.
Rehnquist was the force behind the court's push for greater states' rights. The chief justice has been the leader of five conservatives, sometimes called "the Rehnquist five," who generally advocate limited federal government interference.
With his death, we suddenly have more answers than questions. We can only guess at who will replace him, how bloody and brutal a fight it will be, or at the ideology that will follow from the court; but let's hope that the ideals of limited government and conservative philosophy on the bench do not die with him. RIP.
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