Straight from the horses mouth. I find this to be almost beyond belief, in light of some the speculation that has surrounded his plans since last fall.

WASHINGTON - Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, denying rumors of his retirement, said Thursday he will continue heading the court as long his health permits. "I'm not about to announce my retirement," he told The Associated Press.

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"I want to put to rest the speculation and unfounded rumors of my imminent retirement," Rehnquist, 80, and ailing with thyroid cancer, said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. "I am not about to announce my retirement. I will continue to perform my duties as chief justice as long as my health permits."

Rehnquist released the statement hours after being released from an Arlington, Va., hospital after being treated for two days with a fever.

What does this mean? Is the thyroid cancer responding well to the chemotherapy? Does the Chief Justice simply want to "gut it out" for as long as he can? Will we have a sad spectable like the final year of Justice William O. Douglas, with a justice too ill to remain on the court trying to hang on just a little bit longer (not that Rehnquist apears to be in anything approaching the condition of Douglas, whose stroke had left him severely impaired) and vacilating from day to day about retiring?

Chief Justice Rehnquist has long been a hero of mine. I wish him well. I wish him a long life. May God grant him the wisdom to know when he needs to leave the Court.

Posted by: Greg at 02:18 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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