News Flash! Chief Justice Rehnquist Slated to Resign this Week

Conservative pundit Robert Novak, clearly a man with first-rate White House sources, states...not predicts, but states......in his Chicago Sun-times column today, "Adding to the tension is word from court sources that ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist also will announce his retirement before the week is over. "

Eighty year old Chief Justice William Rehnquist suffers from thyroid cancer, and missed much of the Supreme Court's last term due to illness. The moderately conservative Rehnquist was appointed to the Court in 1972, and was elevated to Chief Justice in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. Rehnquist is the longest-serving Justice in almost 100 years.

Novak's column has fascinating speculation as to the politcal fall-out of dual and dueling Supreme Court vacancies. His column today is must reading....some conservatives are unhappy with President Bush as he seems to be considering nominees who don't share their strict stance on abortion.

Aahh..this looks to be a politically colorful summer! (Credit where credit is due: blogger Avedon Carol of Sideshow caught this before I did.)

UPDATE at 8 PM EST......Buzz is that tomorrow, Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist will announce his retirement.