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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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To: Anti-Hillary
Rush made it pretty clear today, with very concise reasoning,that this whole decision was absolutely fraudulant, and that it was fraudulant from day one, because our gracious judges allowed the bamist to argue two different avenues in getting their way...

our hope?....to be able to seat new judges who actually think the constitution means something...

then a revist to this crap decision...

81 posted on 06/29/2012 10:24:38 PM PDT by cherry (Catholics for Romney)
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To: wolf24
Roberts did to I.8.1 what Scalia did to the Commerce Clause...

...the authority to enact laws necessary and proper for the regulation of interstate commerce is not limited to laws governing intrastate activities that substantially affect interstate commerce. Where necessary to make a regulation of interstate commerce effective, Congress may regulate even those intrastate activities that do not themselves substantially affect interstate commerce.

Scalia concurring in Raich

_________________________________________________________

Both Roberts and Scalia are complicit in killing the Tenth Amendment.

82 posted on 06/29/2012 10:25:27 PM PDT by Ken H
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To: mkjessup; Ernest_at_the_Beach; stephenjohnbanker; NFHale; shibumi; All
RE :”Everyone is saying “oh wait, come November we're gonna throw those bums out” or variations on that theme, but nobody seems to be considering exactly what our federal-imperial masters in Washington may attempt between now and the general election, assuming that we still have one.

Wait, wait, Help is on the way LOL

There were also some short-sighted new House members who last year were telling the MSM that they didn't care if they were re-elected. I know that resonated with a number but I thought it was kind of silly. The Republicans may have held off a few bills with the house but they accomplished nothing got nothing passed through Obama that he didnt demand, To go home after just that and give Pelosi power back after just this one term would be a complete waste.

Even if Republicans get power, what will they have the guts to actually do?

83 posted on 06/29/2012 10:26:43 PM PDT by sickoflibs (Romney is a liberal. Just watch him closely try to screw us.)
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To: doc1019

I do not condemn anyone! That is not the duty of humans...but it seems obvious that this man betrayed us.


84 posted on 06/29/2012 10:27:25 PM PDT by fabian (" And a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo with laughter")
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To: doc1019

If Roberts in reality thought he was putting in motion the type of Machiavellian scheme you’re positing there’s only one conclusion - he’s insane. He’s a megalomaniac who believes in the god-like prescience of his own intellect. There’s a simpler explanation, he’s just a statist. There’s no shortage of them running around Washington; the GOP loves statists so much that they decided to nominate one for president this year. Roberts may be a confused socialist at times, but in the end he believes in unlimited government and rules accordingly.


85 posted on 06/29/2012 10:27:59 PM PDT by eclecticEel (Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 7/4/1776 - 3/21/2010)
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To: Salvation
It talks about how Roberts is really for smaller government.

LOL thanks for the laugh. Anyone that believes that is a ignorant fool.

Injustice Roberts has clearly presented to the world his view of government.

The evil Roberts clearly and without any shades of gray states that he firmly believes that in all matters the State is superior and more important than the individual.

The more I learn about this decision the more I loathe that contemptible vile, very evil man. Roberts deserves nothing but our scorn, contempt and ridicule.

He anti-Constitutional, anti-Liberty decision will guarantee unneeded misery for tens of millions of Americans.

At this moment I loathe this subhuman more than I loathe those on the left.

86 posted on 06/29/2012 10:29:25 PM PDT by sand88
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
... or ...

Battered Conservative syndrome:

"Please officer, don't lock Bob up. He didn't mean to smash my face in. He's really good-hearted. Really he is! It's just sometimes that medication he takes for his epilepsy kicks in and then he just wails on me. Sometimes with a chair. But he really don't mean nuthin' by it."

"It's pro'lly my fault really, officer. I musta did sumthin.' I deserve it. Bob's really not a bad person."

87 posted on 06/29/2012 10:29:25 PM PDT by FredZarguna (When you find yourself arguing against Scalia and Thomas, you AREN'T a conservative.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

It’s a little simplistic, but consider that Liberals and Progressives run for office and get elected with the stated goal of changing government, making it bigger and more powerful. Conservatives run for office and get elected with the vision of government as the Founders envisioned it and maintaining tradition.

Put this way, it’s easy to see how they have an easier job of gaining support to ram through their ideas of change - it’s core to their mission. It’s harder to always play defense, to rally the same amount of support to keep things the same, and much harder to roll things back.


88 posted on 06/29/2012 10:30:31 PM PDT by bigbob
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To: Salvation
Judges can be impeached. That is the check on the judges. see Samuel Chase SCOTUS, Alcee Hastings SDF, Walter Nixon SDM, as well as at least a dozen more examples. Some, like Chase, acquitted in the Senate while other resign or are removed, like Hastings.

The point is that a very good case for impeachment could be made. Certainly a better case than can be made for the Constitutionality of Obama care.

It comes down to the philosophy of hanging horse thieves. You don't have to hang too m,any of them before the others decide to tow the line! If their were actual consequences meted out to these bad apples, and Roberts is now the biggest, the bad apples would self correct.

Kagan should also be impeached for NOT recusing herself. This is a blatant act of conflict of interest. Text book as a matter of fact.

89 posted on 06/29/2012 10:34:19 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: Salvation

I guess the thing I think is...”actions speak louder than words”....


90 posted on 06/29/2012 10:34:47 PM PDT by goodnesswins (What has happened to America?)
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To: dfwgator

91 posted on 06/29/2012 10:35:14 PM PDT by FredZarguna (When you find yourself arguing against Scalia and Thomas, you AREN'T a conservative.)
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To: Ken H
The following is now established case law regarding the power of Congress to tax and regulate...

"The Federal Government may enact a tax on an activity that it cannot authorize, forbid, or otherwise control."

__________________________________________________________

"Where necessary to make a regulation of interstate commerce effective, Congress may regulate even those intrastate activities that do not themselves substantially affect interstate commerce."

92 posted on 06/29/2012 10:37:51 PM PDT by Ken H
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To: doc1019
I don't blame people for trying to believe something good will come of this..

I try to be optimistic too...

however, its almost as much a reach to think there is anything good about this ruling as it was for Roberts the Evil to make up law to get to the ruling...

93 posted on 06/29/2012 10:40:46 PM PDT by cherry (Catholics for Romney)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

94 posted on 06/29/2012 10:41:02 PM PDT by FredZarguna (When you find yourself arguing against Scalia and Thomas, you AREN'T a conservative.)
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To: doc1019
You are terribly wrong, save yourself the time and face the fact.
95 posted on 06/29/2012 10:41:49 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: Jim from C-Town
someone who might know....have the pubs ever had a strong enough senate to actually vote in justices without dem help?....I mean we have so many leftist among the pubs as it is....Collins et al in Maine for two...

pubs never get absolute compliance when a pub president trys to get a judge in ....

those rats though...they manage to stick together and cover the SCM with constant critique....

Bork would have saved us.....

96 posted on 06/29/2012 10:44:25 PM PDT by cherry (Catholics for Romney)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

ROBERTS S A PROGRESSIVE LIKE BUSH AND newt and of course MYTH....


97 posted on 06/29/2012 10:45:39 PM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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To: cherry
Bork would have saved us.....

More likely, he would have screwed us if he'd voted on Heller...

The Second Amendment states somewhat ambiguously: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The first part of the Amendment supports proponents of gun control by seeming to make the possession of firearms contingent upon being a member of a state-regulated militia. The next part is cited by opponents of gun control as a guarantee of the individual's right to possess such weapons, since he can always be called to militia service.

The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that there is no individual right to own a firearm. The Second Amendment was designed to allow states to defend themselves against a possible tyrannical national government.

Now that the federal government has stealth bombers and nuclear weapons, it is hard to imagine what people would need to keep in the garage to serve that purpose.

Bork, footnote, Slouching Towards Gomorrah

98 posted on 06/29/2012 10:55:04 PM PDT by Ken H
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
For all we know, Roberts could have voted for Obamacare because he had some great grandfather that dropped dead and he thinks making everyone buy insurance could have saved him. So he wrote a tortured, convoluted opinion in an attempt to legitimize his emotional, yet unconstitutional opinion.

There is no room for that on the SC. The other 4 libs are just crazy political hacks.

99 posted on 06/29/2012 10:59:30 PM PDT by MacMattico
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

100 posted on 06/29/2012 11:01:25 PM PDT by FredZarguna (When you find yourself arguing against Scalia and Thomas, you AREN'T a conservative.)
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