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1、Sunday,Jul.03,2005TheTippingPoint?ByRichardLacayoEveninWashington,acityfullofleaks,therearesomesecretsyoucankeepfromthePresident.LastThursday,whenmostofthecitywasfocusedonthepossibilitythatChiefJusticeWilliamRehnquistwasabouttoresignfromtheSupremeCourt,WhiteHousecounselHarrietMier
2、sgotacallfromPamelaTalkin,headmarshalattheSupremeCourt,whotoldherthatasealedletterfromthecourtwouldbedeliveredtotheWhiteHousethenextmorning.Talkindidnotsaywhatwouldbeinit.ButMiers,likeeveryoneelse,knewthattheresignationofaJusticewasprobablyimminent.SherelayedTalkin'smessagetothePr
3、esidentandtheVicePresident,whowerehavingtheirweeklylunchinthesmalldiningroomjustofftheOvalOffice.ThenextmorningMierscalledthemarshal'sofficeattheSupremeCourtandwastoldTalkinwasnowauthorizedtorevealthattheletterwouldconcernJusticeSandraDayO'Connor.MierseventuallyreachedthePresident
4、withthenews.Notlongafter,withaWhiteHousephotographeronhandtorecordthemoment,GeorgeW.BushplacedacalltoO'Connor."IwishIwastheretohugyou,"hetoldher."Foranoldranchinggirl,youturnedoutprettygood."Andfullofsurprises.FormonthspartisansinWashington,andallaroundthecountry,havebeengearingup
5、forafightoverthenextSupremeCourtvacancy--justnotquitethefighttheygot.ExpectationsthatRehnquist,80,whoisbattlingthyroidcancer,wouldstepdownhavehadconstituenciesonbothleftandrightpoisedforbattle.Theyhavenothadahigh-courtnominationtocontendwithsince1994,makingthisthelongestthecourtha
6、sgonewithoutanychangeinitsmembershipsincethe1820s.ThelessanticipatedresignationofO'Connor,75,abruptlyraisedthestakes.AcontestoverRehnquist'ssuccessorwouldbepitchedenough,buthisdeparturewouldlikelypreservethestatusquo.Rehnquisthasbeenaconsistentconservativevoteonthecourt,andifhewas
7、succeededbyanotherfirmconservative,thecourt'sideologicalbalancewouldstaythesame.O'Connorisanothermatter.Formuchofher24terms,shehasbeenacriticalswingvoteoninflamedissueslikeabortion,affirmativeactionandchurch-staterelations.IfBushcanreplaceherwithsomeonewhodoesn'tknowthemeaningofth
8、ewordswing,itwouldbeanessentialst
