Dave Coots, I hear these rumors about Supreme Court Judges retiring all of the time. Never have heard of the number 3, usually it is B-Rack will have the chance to replace maybe 2 judges in his second term. I don't have a clue were the idea or fact of that statement comes from.
If you take a logical look at what may happen, I can only see 1 Judge R.B. Ginsberg that may be the one who will need her spot filled. I say that not from her words, as she has said she would not retire but die in office. Her age is the only thing or way I see that obama may get to replace her. She is 80 years old now and the oldest of the Supreme's, she also is a flaming Liberal. So if obama replaces her no harm can be done, no matter who he chooses.
Next in the age thing is Kennedy he is 77, then Scalia who is also 77, then there is Breyer he is 75 years old. All three of these judges have been quite vocal about "NOT" retiring any time in the forseeable future. Of those three Kennedy is usually the tie breaker as the usually 5th vote in the split between lib's and conservative's. Breyer is just as liberal as Ginsberg so once again no harm no foul if he goes. Scalia is very conservative but also a free thinker and makes logical choices down no party line at all. This would be a huge loss to the Conservatives HUGE, but he says he aint going anywhere, and I do not believe that he would even consider giving Obama a shot at his seat.
The rest of the court is fairly young Kagan is the youngest at 53 also a flaming Lib and in all truth should never have been confirmed in the first place.
Sotomayor is 59 she also is a lib. Then there is Clarence Thomas a very conservative judge he is 64. Alitio another conservative is 63.
Then we have the head of the court, Chief Justice John Roberts. Justice Roberts is 58 years old and everything about him screamed he was a conservative. That was until he actually had to vote on something that mattered like oh lets see ----- How's about Obama Care. In that case Justice Roberts the conservative joined ranks with the Lib's and shot the whole country down. So anyones guess as to what he is, is just that a guess.
The court was up until the health care bill divided pretty well. There were 4 Conservative Justices Roberts, Thomas, Scalia and Alito.
And there were 4 Liberal Justices Breyer, Ginsberg, Kagan and Sotomayor. The tie breaker was "Usually" Kennedy who is a Very Good Justice and basically Middle Right in his rulings most of the time.
So if you take what the Justices themselves have to say, none of them are planning retirement. Ginsberg is getting up there in age so I could see her needing to be replaced sometime in Obama's Reign as His Majesty B' Rack the 1st.
But who would be the other two? All of them say they will stay, I cannot imagine Thomas, Scalia or Alito even considering leaving with this guy in office. So I think this is a Red Herring, and I sure hope so...
Roland