Did he expect the U.N. to be seat warming until he suceeded Powell? He deserves credit for his Sudan work (following in W’s lead, questioning the U.N.’s legitimacy for not condemning real human-rights violations, having some backbone).

What next? Well: Check this out from the Washingtonian:

Several Supreme Court dark horses are making the rounds. Former solicitor general Ted Olson, 64, could get the job. Another possibility is former Missouri senator John Danforth, now the US ambassador to the United Nations….Danforth’s integrity and character are widely admired.

BUT, it also adds that might be a longshot:

Working against Danforth would be his age—68. The oldest person appointed to the court in recent years was Richmond’s Lewis Powell at 64. When Powell was approached in 1969 about a possible appointment, he advised President Nixon to “appoint a relatively young man who will have the prospect of at least two decades of service.” Powell took his seat in 1972 and retired in 1987 after 15 years on the Court.

Besides conservatives not being delighted by a Danforth pick, I can only imagine the president looking younger.