[Mb-civic] Surprise Retiree Raises the Stakes of Battle to Come - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Surprise Retiree Raises the Stakes of Battle to Come

By Charles Babington and Mike Allen

Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, July 2, 2005; Page A12

After preparing for months for a battle to replace Chief Justice William 
H. Rehnquist, conservative and liberal groups were caught by surprise 
yesterday and immediately began reworking their strategies for a fight 
that they believe will be even more ferocious and carry higher stakes.

Activists on both sides said the retirement of Justice Sandra Day 
O'Connor, who has been a crucial swing vote compared with Rehnquist's 
reliable conservatism, gives conservatives an unexpected chance to shift 
the court rightward. Liberals, anxious to prevent such a move, said they 
must pour more money and energy into a campaign to educate Americans 
about the role O'Connor played and the importance of replacing her with 
a fellow centrist.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/01/AR2005070102102.html?nav=hcmodule
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