Rehnquist Stepping down? YES – Bush Has TWO Choices for Supreme Court

Matt Drudge has a “Media on standby after growing reports Supreme Court Chief Justice Rehnquist is handing in his resignation… DEVELOPING… ”

Stay tuned.

In the meantime read this piece about two possible Supreme Court vacancies, GOP Plots Court Strategy With Rehnquist in Mind.

Flap handicapped these possibilities here.

Update #1

Reporter Bob Novak declares on CNN that Rehnquist will announce retirement today after Bush’s plane touches down at Andrews AFB approx. 4:50 PM EDT… DEVELOPING.

Update #2

Michelle Malkin has this piece, SCOTUS WATCH: THE GONZALES PROBLEM:

There is one fundamental issue that matters more than any other in choosing the next Supreme Court justice–a wartime Supreme Court justice. More than abortion. More than affirmative action. More than the Ten Commandments in courtrooms. The issue is national security.

Will the next high court nominee, for example, side with the Johnnie Cochran-for-Jihadists model of extending the entire panoply of U.S. civilian due process rights to illegal foreign enemy combatants?

Huffington has this earlier piece from Novak.

Update #3

Air Force One has touched down and the President is on his way to the White House.

Redstate.org has this:

First, this story is draining and I’m burning out.

Second, I have every reason to believe both Robert Novak and Matt Drudge are correct, though I still suspect the Chief Justice could wait until Monday.

Third, I am reliably informed that certain Senate staffers have been told that the next few weeks stand to be very historic.

Fourth, I am reliably informed that the John Paul Stevens rumor that all of a sudden got stirred up today is both completely and totally unexpected as of even the first of this week and also accurate. I cannot get my hands around the cause, but several have hinted that Justice Stevens’s health is not good. One said it is believed that Justice Stevens’s health has suddenly begun to deteriorate. The cause is speculation, but this bolt out of the blue does appear to have some substance behind it.

Update [2005-7-8 16:29:33 by Erick]:A reliable third party source just called to say that “it is done.” William Rehnquist has retired from the United States Supreme Court.

I feel like we need that Rumsfeld quote back. Could it be that Novak is playing a dirty joke on all of us? I’m tired of waiting. Get on with it. If not, the Chief should send us all home. Retire already! My gut tells me it is BS. My IM’s, emails, and phone calls all say he is retiring and Novak is right.

Update [2005-7-8 17:4:24 by Erick]: A second third party source tells me that Rehnquist has resigned. Unfortunately, my White House sources are MIA, which does indicate to me that something is going on. This source is adamanat saying “It is a done deal.”

My gut still says SCOTUSBlog is right, nothing will happen. Everyone else says Rehnquist has already retired. Could this be a cannabalistic feeding frenzy — everyone feeding off each other while the Chief Justice and Robert Novak laugh?

Update #4

Drudge is reporting: Rehnquist to Retire

On Fox News (a few minutes ago) when asked by a reporter earlier today about his status on the SCOTUS. Rehnquist replied, “That is for me to know and for you to find out.”