This was heralded quite a bit recently, but Justice Stevens made it official today, announcing that he will retire at the end of the current term.

 

USA Today has some speculation about his successor here. Some of the picks are interesting, but it's basically the same list we saw with the Sotomayor pick.

 

The political gaming on this will revolve around the fact that, as with Sotomayor, Obama is replacing a liberal justice with another liberal justice. From that perspective, simply "holding the line", rather than "changing the balance." But of course many conservatives won't see it that way, and one can obviously expect Republicans to be vehement in opposition to just about any suggested candidate.

This will get.. interesting.. if he nominates Holder.