Supreme Court Justice David Souter to retire?

People have been expecting the older members of the Supreme Court to retire for some time now, but instead it appears that Supreme Court Justice David Souter will be the next one to leave the bench. This gives Obama his first chance to bring onto the court someone who reflects his own views. Although, while Justice Souter was nominated by President George H. W. Bush, a Republican and moderate conservative, Souter himself has consistently sided with the liberal-wing of the court. So, this change is unlikely to alter the landscape overall.

The question now is whether Conservatives will want payback for all of the justices that were filibustered and obstructed during the George W. Bush years. I am hoping that the GOP can rise above tit-for-tat, but I am not very hopeful in the current leadership's ability to do so. It is more likely they will want eye-for-an-eye and will stand in the way of any justice that President Obama nominates.