Washington was plunged into a new round of speculation about the future of the US Supreme Court with the announcement late yesterday that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist (80), who has thyroid cancer, has been admitted to hospital with a fever.
Rehnquist was taken to the hospital on Tuesday "for observation and tests", Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said. Though he had been attending court daily up until last Wednesday, speculation about his retirement has been intense. He was treated in hospital in March for breathing problems and has difficulty walking.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (75) said earlier this month that she would be resigning, setting the stage for a crucial fight over a successor. Yesterday US president George Bush consulted Republican and Democratic leaders about who he might nominate to fill the vacancy on the nine-member panel. O'Connor is regarded as a moderate centrist while the chief justice is a strong conservative. Analysts say it could be easier for the president to get two nominees confirmed, one centrist and one conservative.
Mr Bush is under pressure from conservatives to appoint a judge who is opposed to abortion to succeed O'Connor. But Democrats, who have floated the names of three Hispanic judges, would fight the nomination of two conservative replacements.
On a visit to South Africa, the president's wife, Laura Bush, said she would like to see O'Connor replaced by another woman. The president seemed surprised to hear the First Lady's comment.
"She did? Well, good," he told reporters in the Oval Office. "I can't wait to hear her advice in person when she gets back."