You are missing the point. It is beneficial to the liberal cause, so none of that matters. All that matters is what the "intent" was. Now, if it were reversed, and it benefited the Conservative cause, then the courts, the Dems, the GOP-e, and the media would all be insisting that the letter of the law be followed exactly.
You are spot on.
The liberals want to have it both ways, and they may get it.
When the liberal view of an issue calls for review of legislative intent or some other inexact criteria, then the liberals will talk about that as being how the decision should be made.
If the liberal view of an issue calls for the letter of the law to be followed exactly, then liberals tell us that this is how a case and a law should be interpreted.
The road to ‘hell’ is paved with good ‘intent’ions.................