May He Rest in Peace...

I was saddened by the death of William Rehnquist. He has been a congenial man, a stately figure, and a true trustee of the Constitution. Under his leadership the court has begun the slow turn towards taking the text of the Constitution seriously and seeking to preserve the authority of the Constitution by interpreting it in a manner consistent with its text and the intent of those who wrote and ratified it.

His presence will be missed.

I have no personal memories of interacting with him. I did have one opportunity to meet him but declined the opportunity. Back in 2000, my brother and I were having lunch at the legendary D.C. restraunt The Monacle, which is steps away from the Senate buildings and the Supreme Court. While eating we noticed Rehnquist eating lunch with what seemed to be some of his law clerks a couple of tables away. Neither of us felt it was appropriate to go interrupt his lunch just to introduce ourselves. We merely remarked to each other how we both admired him as a Justice and were glad that we were able to see him in person.

Again our country will miss William Rehnquist as a Justice and as a man.

May he rest in peace and God bless him and his family.

Publius2000