Breaking News: Justice Souter to Retire

Another good riddance situation.

NPR has learned that Supreme Court Justice David Souter is planning to retire at the end of the current court term.

The vacancy will give President Obama his first chance to name a member of the high court and begin to shape its future direction.

While Souter has been a disappointment since he was appointed by President George H.W. Bush, we can be sure that his replacement will be much worse. The greatest and most lasting damage from last November's election will be the re-shaping of the federal judiciary. I expect President Obama will get to replace at least 3 supreme court justices (Souter, Stevens, Kennedy and Ginsberg) and a whole bunch of lower court judges.