Chief Justice William Rehnquist might not return to the bench because he is too weak while he is undergoing treatment for his thyroid cancer. Rumors have it the Justice Thomas or Justice Scalia might be elevated to Chief Justice if Rehnquist resigns, or heaven forbid he passes away. These three men are the conservative core of the Supreme Court, and two of them have dissented on Roe Vs. Wade 1973. Before Rehnquist no other justice had been elevated, they just brought in an outsider to boss around the other justices. If Rehnquist leaves and Thomas or Scalia are elevated, Bush will replace one of the two men with another conservative judge. Then there is speculation that Justice Stevens might step down, he is the most liberal of the group and he is 84 years old. News reports have already said that Justice Ginsburg wants to retire also. What this all amounts to is that a court that had previous ruled 5-4 towards both sides of the political spectrum, is about to become ultraconservative within the next two years. The new Supreme Court could come out swinging with rulings that are 7-2 and this will be a problem for the left. Now all the illegitimate rulings from the 9th circuit in California can be overturned. Most frightening to the left is the possibility that a woman might lose her "right to choose". Yes, I said it. I know any liberal reading this is bursting into tears right now, but I have a feeling by the time 2008 rolls around, Roe Vs. Wade will become a thing of the past. I don't know if all abortions will be banned, but abortions on demand surely will. The US might follow the lead of Portugal and allow abortions for medical reasons only. Personally, I can't wait for that decision to be handed down. What a backlash that will be! I can just see it now as the New York Times prints on the front page in the biggest letters they can find, RELIGIOUS FANATICS HAVE HIJACKED THE COURTS AND THE COUNTRY. It will interesting to see how everything plays out, but I am willing to wager that my predictions are correct.