That’s what Vincent Morris of the NYP is saying in his column. “A Shocking Look At An Ailing Rehnquist.” Here is the first-hand account:

One of the most powerful men in America, cancer-stricken Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, looked very, very ill yesterday.

I say that because I unexpectedly came face to face with the 80-year-old, wheelchair-bound Rehnquist as his aides pushed him down an endless series of basement corridors in the Capitol.

The longtime chief justice hasn’t been seen in public in several months and it was clear to me why. Rehnquist was hunched over in his wheelchair, an old hunting cap pulled down low over his ears to cover up his blotchy skin and near baldness, possibly the result of the aggressive treatment he’s getting for his thyroid cancer.

His eyes looked sunken and lifeless. A plastic collar was wrapped tightly around his neck, where his throat had been opened recently for a tracheotomy. I tried to make eye contact and wanted to offer a word of encouragement. Our eyes never met. “

And if another Scalia-type appointment is successful is appointed and subsequent vacancy comes up, we could kiss several things goodbye — abortion rights, gay rights, privacy rights…you name it. Remember, Scalia said that a religion-neutral government does not fit with an America that reflects belief in God in everything from its money to its military. We don’t need any more wingnuts like this “protecting” our freedoms.