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The Case for John Roberts
The Weekly Standard ^ | 6:00 AM, Jun 29, 2012 | JAY COST

Posted on 06/29/2012 9:04:57 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

Many conservatives are feeling betrayed by the chief justice's vote to uphold Obamacare. But there's a counterintuitive case to be made that John Roberts's decision is largely a victory for conservatives.

Every time I visit Washington, D.C., I am struck by a single, terrible thought: It is not just that conservatives are losing the various battles over big government, but they have been losing the war for generations. The most conservatives are ever able to do is tinker at the margins – and celebrating small victories like lowering marginal tax rates is a sign of just how low our sights are set.

Why has this happened? After all, this was a country founded in direct opposition to unlimited governmental power. How have we arrived at a point when the feds can do just about anything they want?

It is because, at critical moments in the nation’s history, the advocates of limited government were on the losing side of the political equation, and the opposition was very effective at consolidating its victory. Not only did big government advocates implement policy changes, they also brought about huge structural innovations to the way the government functions.

The progressives of the early 1900s managed this with the 16th Amendment, legalizing the income tax and opening up whole avenues of power that had been previously off limits. The political genius of that move must be admired: The left got its hands on the government for a relatively short period of time, but it sure made hay while the sun was out. We’re still paying the price today -- quite literally. Similarly, the New Deal took advantage of a national emergency to ram through ......

(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; benedictroberts; deathpanels; jaycost; obamacare; scotus; zerocare
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1 posted on 06/29/2012 9:05:02 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

As I have posed several times here about Robert’s decision:

Before I join any group and dump all over Roberts, I think I will wait and see how this plays out as we approach the elections. I just have a gut feeling that Roberts is playing a back game and his naysayers will be caught with their embarrassment showing. I think, in the end, Roberts will be exonerated.

I could be wrong, but for now I will just wait this one out before condemning him.


2 posted on 06/29/2012 9:09:01 PM PDT by doc1019 (Voting for the better of two evils is still voting for evil.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Mark Levin SHREDDED this line of thought today. I am going with Mark. Roberts ruled based on politics not on Constitutionality. He is a traitor, IMO!


3 posted on 06/29/2012 9:09:13 PM PDT by Anti-Hillary (Under Romney's Governorship, MA. was the birthplace of gay marriage & socialized medicine in America)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

If a study of world history reveals anything at all, it’s that those power-hungry souls who are attracted to government work will gradually accrue more and more power to themselves until a dictatorship/oligarchy by a governing elite becomes inevitable.

The Founding Fathers did their level best to take that into account and design a “fool proof” republic. Alas, clearly they failed.


4 posted on 06/29/2012 9:09:34 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Mark Levin SHREDDED this line of thought today. I am going with Mark. Roberts ruled based on politics not on Constitutionality. He is a traitor, IMO!


5 posted on 06/29/2012 9:10:29 PM PDT by Anti-Hillary (Barry, Barry quite contrary, how does your government grow?...)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Bullshit. Roberts, in an attempt to de-politicize his court in the public opinion, cemented himself as an activist judge with the most political decision of the century.


6 posted on 06/29/2012 9:10:32 PM PDT by Flightdeck (If you hear me yell "Eject, Eject, Eject!" the last two will be echos...)
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To: Jack Hammer

The suggested Bork Amendment (a supermajority of both houses of Congress can overturn any court decision) looks interesting, but couldn’t help here. The Senate is a long, long way from being Republican enough.


7 posted on 06/29/2012 9:11:07 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (let me ABOs run loose, lew)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Jay Cost is a staff writer for THE WEEKLY STANDARD and the author of Spoiled Rotten: How the Politics of Patronage Corrupted the Once Noble Democratic Party and Now Threatens the American Republic, available now wherever books are sold.
8 posted on 06/29/2012 9:12:05 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?)
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To: doc1019

“I could be wrong...”

Sorry, and I don’t blame you for hoping, but I have no doubt that you are.


9 posted on 06/29/2012 9:12:15 PM PDT by Flightdeck (If you hear me yell "Eject, Eject, Eject!" the last two will be echos...)
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To: Anti-Hillary

ANOTHER one who is trying to make excuses for treason. Probably another guy who KNOWS Roberts. Sheesh. When in doubt, I take the side of Mark Levin as well. BTW, Mark has known Roberts for a long time, and he didn’t hold his fire. God bless Mark Levin for putting his freedom over friendship! Bob


10 posted on 06/29/2012 9:12:56 PM PDT by alstewartfan (Two broken Tigers on fire in the night Flicker their souls to the wind. Al Stewart "Roads to Moscow")
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To: Flightdeck

He and the Gang of Four did not abide by the usual court principle of tax law cases, which is not to intervene until somebody actually gets dinged for the tax. They jumped down Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole here.


11 posted on 06/29/2012 9:13:41 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (let me ABOs run loose, lew)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The Case for John Roberts....IMPEACHMENT
12 posted on 06/29/2012 9:14:05 PM PDT by goodnesswins (What has happened to America?)
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To: doc1019
Before I join any group and dump all over Roberts, I think I will wait and see how this plays out as we approach the elections. I just have a gut feeling that Roberts is playing a back game and his naysayers will be caught with their embarrassment showing. I think, in the end, Roberts will be exonerated.

How could it possibly work out for the best??? Even if this helps the Republicans in November's elections, which it probably will, and even if this is first crop of Republicans in decades with the political will and testicular fortitude to repeal this shit (and how likely is THAT?), it still doesn't repeal the ruling! IOW, a federal program as large, as wrong, and as intrusive as O-Care is Constitutionally hunky-dory, not just for health care, but in any other area as well! The only way to fix THAT now is with a Constitutional amendment and what are the odds of that???

13 posted on 06/29/2012 9:15:33 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: Flightdeck

And yet I could be right.


15 posted on 06/29/2012 9:16:08 PM PDT by doc1019 (Voting for the better of two evils is still voting for evil.)
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To: alstewartfan

IMO, what ought to be considered more was the regard Roberts showed for his friendship with Levin. AFAICS, if you play politics with leftists, you are yourself leftist. Roberts’ convoluted views on abortion (another one who claims it is unconstitutional yet Roe v. Wade is “settled law”) spoke to his true nature back when he was first confirmed.


16 posted on 06/29/2012 9:16:35 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.

Why is this pig smiling?

Because of John Benedict Arnold Roberts.

17 posted on 06/29/2012 9:16:49 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (Roberts Care is Romney Care on Steroids)
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To: Flightdeck

I agree. Roberts trying not to be political and his decision was political. Not using the commerce clause to tax inactitivty by calling the penalty or mandate a Tax to tax inactivity. I feel like I am Alice in Wonderland having tea with the Mad Hatter. Up is down , bad is good


18 posted on 06/29/2012 9:17:12 PM PDT by funfan
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To: Flightdeck
I agree. Roberts trying not to be political and his decision was political. Not using the commerce clause to tax inactivity by calling the penalty or mandate a Tax to tax inactivity. I feel like I am Alice in Wonderland having tea with the Mad Hatter. Up is down , bad is good
19 posted on 06/29/2012 9:17:31 PM PDT by funfan
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To: Anti-Hillary

Any thing posted on what he said?


20 posted on 06/29/2012 9:17:42 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?)
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