Chief justice administers his last presidential oath
Rehnquist swears in Bush despite illness
Associated Press
Looking frail but determined, his voice strained from thyroid cancer, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist emerged from months of seclusion to swear in President Bush.
The 80-year-old Rehnquist managed a weak smile as he walked with a cane and took his place on the podium. A scarf around his neck appeared to slip, exposing a tracheotomy tube that helps him breathe.
Rehnquist has been shrouded in mystery since October, when he issued a statement saying he had cancer and dropped out of sight as he underwent treatment.
Many were skeptical that he would be well enough to administer the oath, but after Bush and other leaders took their place on the Capitol stage, the chief justice emerged and walked gingerly down a flight of stairs to join them.
His first public appearance in three months was brief. He administered the oath in a clear but raspy voice - very different from his usual deep-pitched speech. It was the fifth and very likely last time he will swear in a president.