What is the likelihood of this?

[zbdent]

Sandra Day O'Conner was rumored to have stated that she wanted to retire under a Bush administration. (italicized portion added to clarify - no link)

The Karl Rove issue really picks up steam the past few weeks.

Now, could SDO'C have smelled the blood in the water and decided that she could retire and not have it tainted with the stain of this:

Bush gets a SCOTUS nominee in place as the Rove scandal comes to the logical head.

Bush, in his infinite wisdom :eyes: :sarcasm:, pardons Rove of all crimes. (Interesting side note - in Woodward's "Shadow", one of the scenarios was placed that Nixon could pardon himself - unlikely, but was possible).

Remember the uproar over Clinton's pardon in 2001? All the Repukes were up in arms over the constitutionality of the pardon. Calls to actually nullify it were being made. In the end, though, it was all hot air. So it seemed.

Now, Bush pardons Rove (and Scooter Libby, just for good measure).

But the SCOTUS is in place, esp. with a brand-spanking new member who just happens to be grateful for Bush for getting in after only TWO YEARS of action. No possibility of wondering about a swing vote hinge there.

Plus, the constitutional crimes of Bush can come into play also, if more and more revelations come in on the lies on the road to Iraq.

Could SDO'C have done this as a way to retire without becoming the deciding vote on the second biggest crime the SCOTUS committed on the US (the biggest being perpetrated on 12/12/2000)?