A giant passes

Chief Justice Rehnquist graced the Court for three and a half decades. I’m not sure that any Justice in our history has written as many good opinions. And even those who didn’t like his opinions will remember him for his gentlemanly demeanor and excellent scholarship.
Unfortunately, Rehnquist was unable to put his stamp on the Rehnquist court. Indeed, it’s a bit misleading to refer to such a thing. But that wasn’t his fault; three different Republican administrations let him down. If Nixon, Reagan and Bush-I done a better job picking Justices, the Rehnquist court would have been a fitting memorial to the man.