Supreme Court Retirement: Latest Stevens News, Reaction, Possible Replacements

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens announced on Friday that after nearly four decades on the bench, he will retire this summer.

Here is the latest reaction and developments:

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Justice Is 'Famous For Work Ethic On Supreme Court And Tennis Court'

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Vice President Joe Biden’s statement on Justice Stevens’s decision to retire:

“In 1975, as a first-term Senator from Delaware, I had the privilege of voting for the first time to confirm a nominee to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Last year, I was honored when that nominee — Justice John Paul Stevens — administered the oath of office as I was sworn in to serve as Vice President of the United States. Today, I called Justice Stevens to thank him for his service to our country, after he announced his retirement. Throughout this span of years, all Americans have benefitted from Justice Stevens‘s commitment to our core Constitutional values and to the fair and restrained application of the law to all parties before the Court. His legacy as a Justice will endure, beyond the confines of a particular judicial ideology, because it reflects the profound humanity he brought to bear to the task of judging. “Justice Stevens’s service to our Nation began well before his elevation to our highest Court. A member of the Greatest Generation, the last still serving on the Court, he enlisted to serve our country the day before the Pearl Harbor attack. He returned after the war to attend law school, clerk on the Supreme Court, and become an expert in antitrust law in private practice, before being appointed a judge. He accumulated wisdom from this rich life experience and approached judging as much more than an academic exercise. He saw how the law shapes the lives of ordinary people in real and practical ways, and he talked about and explained the law in ways that made sense to all Americans. “Justice Stevens is famous for his work ethic — both on the Supreme Court and the tennis court — even as he turns 90 later this month. His service to our Nation has been long, distinguished, and an inspiration to generations of Americans, and for that we are deeply grateful.”

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Vice President Joe Biden’s statement on Justice Stevens’s decision to retire:

“In 1975, as a first-term Senator from Delaware, I had the privilege of voting for the first time to confirm a nominee to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Last year, I was honored when that nominee — Justice John Paul Stevens — administered the oath of office as I was sworn in to serve as Vice President of the United States. Today, I called Justice Stevens to thank him for his service to our country, after he announced his retirement. Throughout this span of years, all Americans have benefitted from Justice Stevens‘s commitment to our core Constitutional values and to the fair and restrained application of the law to all parties before the Court. His legacy as a Justice will endure, beyond the confines of a particular judicial ideology, because it reflects the profound humanity he brought to bear to the task of judging.

“Justice Stevens’s service to our Nation began well before his elevation to our highest Court. A member of the Greatest Generation, the last still serving on the Court, he enlisted to serve our country the day before the Pearl Harbor attack. He returned after the war to attend law school, clerk on the Supreme Court, and become an expert in antitrust law in private practice, before being appointed a judge. He accumulated wisdom from this rich life experience and approached judging as much more than an academic exercise. He saw how the law shapes the lives of ordinary people in real and practical ways, and he talked about and explained the law in ways that made sense to all Americans.

“Justice Stevens is famous for his work ethic — both on the Supreme Court and the tennis court — even as he turns 90 later this month. His service to our Nation has been long, distinguished, and an inspiration to generations of Americans, and for that we are deeply grateful.”

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Comments

[GREYDOG]

05:16 PM on 04/12/2010

I support the nomination of Dr. Cornel West for the U.S. Supreme Court.

[sheoples]

08:04 PM on 04/09/2010

obama is not liberal........he's just another blue dog dem.....

[LemonMeringue]

07:11 PM on 04/09/2010

HuffPo, I liked it better when your pages were leaner. There is just too much stuff being loaded on a page. I'm going to have to find a new favorite political news website. If I can only view your site on some computer, and not all computers... no good.

[Zapatista]

06:53 PM on 04/09/2010

---> Teabagger Talking Points Memo from April 9, 2010

Daer Patriotz, Dat Muzlem Komunist Socializt darky is about to put up anuder libral onto ourz suprem cort - we mus prey to jezus for guidence and by lots of amo. No fanzee book rader is gonna take mi singl wide or tax mi burger king retirement benifitz. Yee haw, don't tread on me !!! (gun fire)

love, patriets lovers of Amerikka

[ObamAtomic]

07:08 PM on 04/09/2010

Seriously,LOL

[azcowman]

07:16 PM on 04/09/2010

i resemble those remarks

[rambot02]

07:44 PM on 04/09/2010

Vaudeville/Internet mash-up. Isn't it great to be alive in 2010?

[xargaw]

06:43 PM on 04/09/2010

Obama won't do anything bold. He has proven he is a middle of road compromiser. That is going to be his legacy and our historical disappointment. So much potential wasted!

[rambot02]

07:53 PM on 04/09/2010

xargaw -- I agree w/ you... partially.

Obama is facing a new reality: the tyranny of the minority created by the fact that the filibuster is now used for EVERYTHING. Google "Number of filibusters per Congress" and you will see the stark reality that Obama is facing. No POTUS has faced such a steep mountain. You can't get away with this gridlock-inducing filibuster rule without 67 votes in the Senate, and good friggin' luck with that.

Obama isn't a wuss; he IS a pragmatist, trying to get half a loaf (or even a quarter loaf) in an environment designed to make it hard for him to get a few crumbs.

[LeLoup]

12:09 AM on 04/10/2010

"Obama isn't a wuss; he IS a pragmatist, trying to get half a loaf (or even a quarter loaf) in an environment designed to make it hard for him to get a few crumbs."

Then I suggest he should trust the people a bit more by being more forceful on issues that matter to them.

Why do you think Alan Grayson is getting so much support? Why do you think the extreme right fear him so much?

[bluntobject]

06:27 PM on 04/09/2010

Obama is making a real mistake with his base if he appoints a justice that will turn the court even farther to the right. Replace Stevens with a like minded liberal half his age. That is the only fair thing considering the court is already skewed to the 'far right', which really should be called the 'far wrong'.

[oldwhitewomantoo]

06:24 PM on 04/09/2010

Well, that's about as reactionary a statement as they could put out.

I guess we won't have to worry about bi-partisanship on confirmation of a nominee, huh?

[oldwhitewomantoo]

06:39 PM on 04/09/2010

And I was referencing the statement put out by Carrie Severino, Chief Counsel and Policy Director for The Judicial Crisis Network, the conservative interest group.

[PHM]

06:05 PM on 04/09/2010

All these Republicans mouthing platitudes about judicial restraint and not making decisions based on personal politics all the while their hand pick toadies have endowed corporations with personhood in one of the most blatant examples of judicial activism in history.

My God, what a bunch of low life cretins.

[bluntobject]

06:25 PM on 04/09/2010

You are SO RIGHT Carl!

fanned.

[fya]

08:46 PM on 04/09/2010

Cosign. Fanned.

[maggiee]

05:42 PM on 04/09/2010

I wish we had a shot at getting a real liberal on the court to start to counterbalance the FOUR hard-line right-wing ideologues already on the court...who the Democrats were kind enough to allow up or down votes when their time came for confirmation but there's no chance the Republicans will be anything but obstructionist and contentious. If Obama tried to appoint a real liberal they would stomp their tiny feet and pump their tiny fists and threaten to hold their breath so they get their way again either way; the court moves further right.

[tenzenz]

05:18 PM on 04/09/2010

The GOP may be saying all the right things right now, regarding fair and balanced review of the next selection for the US Supreme Court, but there is no doubt in my mind that they are going to use every necessary tactic possible to delay any confirmation, at least until after the November Elections. They hope to gain the majority in the Senate and further impede the Agenda of President Obama to repair the ongoing tragedies that this nation and the world are now mired in, thanks to the GOP and the Bush Administration.
President Obama, don't fall for the trap of selecting someone that Republican Senators can support, because, unless your selection was "W" himself, or Rove, or any so-called graduate of the Pat Robertson School of Theological Idiocy, you will not get their support between now and November. Please select a Jurist who does believe in the rights of a Person, over the rights of any Corporation or Entity, and believes in the Powers of Separation between State and Church, and will unequivocally deny the ability of any Church or Religion to interject their ideology upon our Governments both Local, and Federal, as well as their will upon individuals, that do not follow their ideology

[trucap]

05:16 PM on 04/09/2010

whoever nominated going to be confirmed ,thanks to congress nuclear process .

[bigOther]

05:21 PM on 04/09/2010

Which is what? nuclear process???

[oldguru]

04:52 PM on 04/09/2010

Cornyn has got to be kidding. NOW he wants justices who won't rule based on personal politics? He voted for Alito and Roberts didn't he? MORE republican hypocricy.

[Hank10303]

04:46 PM on 04/09/2010

THERE TALKING FILIBUSTER ALREADY

But the constitution calls for a majority vote; only a majority vote. So what are the republicans talking about?

[Suzanne525]

04:49 PM on 04/09/2010

If they filibuster, I want it shown on broadcast TV.

[PDinCA]

05:19 PM on 04/09/2010

There's nothing to show anymore. Filibuster doesn't actually mean anything except demanding 60 votes.

[oldwhitewomantoo]

06:41 PM on 04/09/2010

Well, of course they are.

And, if they do, I say the rule needs to be changed that the filibuster has to be done by one senator only, just like in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

None of this sharing filibuster duty. And it's gotta be on CSPAN for all to see.

[ObamAtomic]

04:46 PM on 04/09/2010

Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is a "marvelous" man.
Reading his biography is a wake call how southerners politicians behave.

[xlntcat]

06:09 PM on 04/09/2010

Yes, Jeff Beauregard Sessions is a real prince. A petty vindictive little man with a history of interjecting his political beliefs and personal feelings into the Justice System not too mention a key figure in covering up corruption in the Bush Justice Department. It is revolting that any nominee would be subjected to the man who said "I thought the KKK was a pretty good group of guys until I heard they smoked pot."

[ObamAtomic]

07:06 PM on 04/09/2010

You right,little man is a cheap person.

[Hank10303]

04:39 PM on 04/09/2010

Biden has one really good speech writer - his comments were DA BOMB

[indamiddle]

04:46 PM on 04/09/2010

Biden should have been elected President while Obama watched and learned. I find that odd that an experiences statesman like Biden is on the Bench while an inexperienced rookie is leading the team. I like Joe. He is real.

[ObamAtomic]

04:51 PM on 04/09/2010

If ,we follow your analogy ,we must conclude Lizard and not Dubyah was supposed
to be the president.

LOL

[Hank10303]

04:59 PM on 04/09/2010

The craft and skill with which the President won the election demonstrates a quick mind and skill to adjust on a dime to the times, situations and critical decisions that need to be made. Don't get me wrong Biden would have been my second choice. But to have a President that graduated tops in his class in both undergrad and grad; that has beaten the Chicago political machine and the Clinton political machine depicts a mental agility that we very badly need at this point in time.

Look at it this way. As the first non-White President with the exception of his supporters every single person in DC has been against him. He is still whippin butt and taken prisoners. From the Leadbottom (spelling) law to health care reform Biden could never have gotten this much done.

Experienced people try to function within the frame work of their environment. Because our President wasn't extensively experience he was not jaded and therefore did not have a preconceived notion of how much or how little could be accomplished or not. Because our system doesn't allow for any one body to have total control even if he wanted to he would never be allowed to enact everything he may want to. But because he has not preconceived notions of what CANNOT be done; more will get done.

[MidRoaderTurnedLeft]

05:03 PM on 04/09/2010

Or in Joe's case: Da F_Bomb