field hockey or whatever

It was inevitable that he was going to go -- and soon -- so it doesn't actually feel like news. Neverthless, Rehnquist's death does not bode well for the direction of the court.

(This is my strikingly obvious comment of the day. I'll try to refrain from making any more.)

It's a good thing that his final days were during a period of such strong national pride and faith in government. A reward for a lifetime of hard work.

Speaking of Supreme Court justices, The Washington Post continues to report on the the tens of thousands of documents from John Roberts' past that have been made public in the period leading up to his confirmation hearings, which are meant to begin on Tuesday.

His sincere adoration for the fairer sex is once again illustrated via the following newspaper editorial he wrote in high school about admitting girls (yuck) to his all-boys prep school:

"The argument that girls will provide a new viewpoint in the classroom is probably valid, although I certainly can't imagine what points will be viewed. . . I would prefer to discuss Shakespeare's double entendre and the latus rectum of conic sections without a blonde giggling and blushing behind me. . . On the athletic side, the presence of girls does not augur well. I can visualize the football team waiting on the sidelines for practice while the girls finish their field hockey or whatever. . . The expense of coeducation will be tremendous -- new facilities will cost, and so will the new full-length mirrors the girls will demand, but the dearest price the school will pay will be its essential character."