Frenzied Speculation Over Kennedy Retirement

With time starting to run out for confirmation before the mid-term elections, Republicans have their fingers crossed. “If you’re thinking about quitting this year, do it yesterday,” was the message from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, delivered off-the-cuff to a conservative radio host. But the signals, such as they are, regarding the retirement of 81-year-old Justice Anthony Kennedy are decidedly mixed, reports this article from the Hill. He has hired law clerks for next term, an obvious sign he plans to stay on, but one observer – Ian Samuel, a lecturer at Harvard Law School and former clerk for the Justice Scalia – reads potential meaning into the fact the court at this point has accepted relatively few cases for the next term. His logic is interesting, and the conclusion is that it could signify retirement is imminent. Samuel acknowledges, however, that it’s just a theory, and he says it’s also possible the court’s leading conservative will be the one to decide this is “a good time to go spend his golden years traveling the country with his wife in their RV” and be the next to announce retirement.