As has been noted by many commentators, David Souter never liked Washington and its politically charged atmosphere so it is not a surprised that he opted to retire when there seemed to be a reasonable chance that he would be replaced with a like minded individual.
This will be a dominant news item for the rest of the summer. Here are a few links worth perusing, though many more are out there.
- Obama Announces the Retirement.
- Possible Replacements.
- Conservatives Target Select Possible Nominees for Opposition.
- Washington Preps for Battle.
- Wikipedia: David Souter.
- Oyez Project: David Souter.
Souter is generally used a textbook example of the importance of, or problems with depending on your point of view, service during good behavior because it allows the judiciary the opportunity to exercise independence. In the case of Souter, this meant not being the lock step conservative he was sold as being. He has since drifted to the left, as did Earl Warren and William Brennan before him.
Given that he has a liberal voting record, it is not expected that his retirement will change anything on the court.
Some wonder however whether his retirement, since it will allow for Republicans to mount an offensive against his replacement, might help focus the party and help it regain momentum. Its a debatable point. Since the retirement rumor mill also includes 89 year old Stevens and cancer survivor Ginsburg, they might have plenty opportunities to get it right.
