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WASHINGTON - Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement has been delayed again, putting her at the center of upcoming Supreme Court debates on abortion, the death penalty and gay rights.
Until Thursday, the White House had been pushing to have Harriet Miers confirmed before the court took up some of the most contentious cases of the year. Miers' withdrawal means O'Connor will hear those cases - and could control the outcome.
She is a moderate who has backed abortion rights and limits on capital punishment. And she has not been hesitant to oppose the Bush administration.
Nearly four months after O'Connor, 75, announced that she was stepping down to care for her ill husband, it's unclear when she will actually retire. She has said she will stay until a successor is confirmed.
She could quit before then, but that is unlikely because it would leave the court with just eight members and the potential for deadlocks.
O'Connor has been hearing cases and voting at closed-door meetings. But if she leaves the court before decisions are announced, her votes will not count.