Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is very clear on
why she doesn't plan to retire and let President Obama replace her before the 2016 elections—because he won't be able to replace her:
Who do you think President Obama could appoint at this very day, given the boundaries that we have? If I resign any time this year, he could not successfully appoint anyone I would like to see in the court. [The Senate Republicans] took off the filibuster for lower federal court appointments, but it remains for this court. So anybody who thinks that if I step down, Obama could appoint someone like me, they’re misguided.
Obama could get
someone confirmed to the Court, most likely, but it would not be someone of the caliber of the Notorious RBG. Then again—and this is a "weep for our nation" moment—can we imagine that becoming possible again in the foreseeable future?
The interview excerpt, with Elle, focuses on women's issues, with Ginsburg suggesting that, on abortion rights, the pendulum swing of the Court has "gotten about as conservative as it will get," and citing Hobby Lobby as a decision that "50 years from now, people will not be able to understand." Let's hope it'll feel like ancient, ancient history by then.