Posted this on another thread; fits here too:
Chuckie is not crazed and desperate, he is incredibly calculating. His target(s) was not Gorsich and Kavanaugh, it was John Roberts. He wanted to get his message out to John Roberts, the weakest link, the alleged conservative Chief Judge that really isn’t, appointed by Prez Bush and an anti-Trumper at heart, that any decision other than the “correct” liberal one is unacceptable.
Schumer couldn’t attack Roberts himself, as that is the man he wants to vote on the liberal side’s point of view re abortion. So, in order to get the message out publicly that the Supreme court is prejudiced against abortion advocates and will rule accordingly on abortion cases, he obliquely attacks the 2 other judges as a way to get the message to Roberts that in order to have the Court appear fair, he must vote with the liberals.
Otherwise the Court is stacked with tainted conservative judges, now that Gorsich and Kavanaugh have been appointed to the Court. Roberts can’t let that appearance of imbalance stand, as Judges are supposedly unbiased, don’t you know, and thus under cover of having seriously lambasted Schumer verbally, Roberts can now hide behind his stern statement and do just what Schumer wants him to do anyway.
A corrupt politician influences his patsy weakling Roberts, and Roberts uses his “tough” statement as cover to do what he really wants to do anyhow, which is to vote with the liberals in order to prove the Court really is unbiased. Roberts and Schumer are a mutual admiration society, both using Schumer’s verbal attack to reach their respective ends, thus guaranteeing the outcome they both really want. A liberal, malleable and loose interpretation of the Constitution, rather than a strict constructionist approach. Roberts is no strict constructionist, and Chuckie knows it. Mission accomplished by Chuckie. Roberts will vote accordingly.
Very good piece. I can agree with this position but, I would add the following:
Roberts may not be in TOTAL lock-step after this intimidation. His ObamaCare decision has always been viewed skeptically; he simply legislated from the bench. Many on the right believe that decision was the result of intimidation tactics, also. Because his children are adults, that weapon may have lost its potency.
I do agree, tho, that Roberts is not an originalist.