WASHINGTON, June 26 (UPI) -- The end of the U.S. Supreme Court's term Monday is fueling speculation about the possible retirement of ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
Rehnquist, who has thyroid cancer, is expected to announce his retirement when the session concludes, the Los Angeles Times reported. The expected retirement sets President Bush up to choose a new leader for the high court.
Sources have said the White House counsel's office has compiled a list of a handful of possible nominees, including Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Judges John Roberts Jr., a Bush appointee to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington; J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. and Michael McConnell, a former University of Chicago law professor who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Denver.
Depending on Bush's choice, a congressional battle could ensue over the nomination.
