Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Is John Roberts Drifting Left?
TNR ^ | 05/02/2015 | By Brianne J. Gorod

Posted on 05/02/2015 8:02:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

This has been a week of surprises from Chief Justice John Roberts. Wednesday he joined the Court’s more liberal members in a 5-4 decision in a significant First Amendment case. Tuesday at the argument in Obergefell v. Hodges, the marriage equality cases, he suggested that a ban on same-sex marriage might present a “straightforward question of sexual discrimination.” These superficially surprising moves support Roberts’s oft-repeated claim that he believes the Justices should decide cases based on the law, not politics.

But as Roberts’s tenth term as Chief Justice comes to a close, the biggest tests of that claim are still to come in the Court’s decisions in Obergefell and in King, the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While no one can know for sure what Roberts will do in those cases, there’s a good chance that he’ll remain unpredictable into June.

In Wednesday’s decision in Williams-Yulee v. Florida Bar, Roberts surprised Court watchers when he joined the Court’s more liberal members to hold that the First Amendment permits Florida to ban judicial candidates from personally soliciting campaign funds.

Roberts wrote for the Court that “[a] State may assure its people that judges will apply the law without fear or favor—and without having personally asked anyone for money.” This was a big deal, and a relative bombshell by the Chief Justice. In the first decade of the Roberts Court, almost every term has had a significant decision sharply limiting campaign finance legislation, and Roberts has been in the majority in all of them. Last year, in McCutcheon v. FEC, he wrote the opinion striking down federal limits on aggregate campaign contributions, stating that the $123,000 limit per two-year election cycle “seriously restrict[s] participation in the democratic process”

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 20090114; blackmail; chiefjustice; homosexualagenda; johnroberts; left; rocketing; scotus; ssm; supremecourt; ussc
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last

1 posted on 05/02/2015 8:02:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

He does whatever Obama tells him to do.


2 posted on 05/02/2015 8:04:16 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Democrats. They just ... say stuff.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

He is bought and paid for!


3 posted on 05/02/2015 8:05:13 PM PDT by foundedonpurpose (o)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

A closet communists Democrat.


4 posted on 05/02/2015 8:05:16 PM PDT by Logical me
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Left creep, by a creep!


5 posted on 05/02/2015 8:05:37 PM PDT by Empireoftheatom48 (God help the Republic but will he?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Drifting? More like an avalanche!


6 posted on 05/02/2015 8:06:55 PM PDT by longhorn too
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Does a bear........


7 posted on 05/02/2015 8:07:02 PM PDT by RushIsMyTeddyBear (The White House is now known as "Casa Blanca".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind; All

Aint no ‘drift’ about it....Ever since Ocare travesty it has been apparent that someone has the goods on him ( either that or he is taking drugs)


8 posted on 05/02/2015 8:08:24 PM PDT by Nifster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy; BuckeyeTexan

what until the Burgwell case. TNR will be crying then.


9 posted on 05/02/2015 8:09:16 PM PDT by Perdogg (I'm on a no Carb diet- NO Christie Ayotte Romney or Bush - stay outta da Bushesh)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

Lost his principles, with what ever they nailed him for.

Complete coward & traitor!

Would love for him to grow a pair. But ears cut them off. Marxism, destroying one country after another. At least China lets their smal businesses alone. No stupid fee’s or taxation.

To the freepers on attack. Go do your homework... Then go pound sand!


10 posted on 05/02/2015 8:12:42 PM PDT by foundedonpurpose (o)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Logical me

Yea. Who picked him I wonder!!!! who picked Souter!!! JEEZ!!! there are a billion hardcore lifetime conservatives to pick but they got these two?? how???


11 posted on 05/02/2015 8:13:11 PM PDT by dp0622 (Franky Five Angels: "Look, let's get 'em all -- let's get 'em all now, while we got the muscle.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Both Bush’s pick were more Liberal-Moderates than Conservatives. There was a push back by Conservatives to Bush’s 2nd pick so he backed down and picked a Conservative


12 posted on 05/02/2015 8:16:58 PM PDT by 4rcane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dp0622

Roberts was solid for awhile. The court kicked butt on Campaign Finance and 2nd amendment. He is somehow compromised now, since Obamacare. He originally was on the same side as Scalia and the conservatives and authored the original majority decision, which evolved into the dissent. Something changed that May or June that altered him completely as a Justice.


13 posted on 05/02/2015 8:20:42 PM PDT by ilgipper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Cacatne ursus en sylvius?


14 posted on 05/02/2015 8:21:28 PM PDT by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I’m on the road and don’t have easy access to the information, but I distinctly remember years ago that a conservative law firm was about to argue a case about homosexuality in federal court. In preparing for the case, they needed a foil as practice to argue against and represent the other side. Their choice? John Roberts

I was against his selection from the beginning. (I was in favor of Samuel Alito’s selection.)


15 posted on 05/02/2015 8:22:01 PM PDT by Engraved-on-His-hands (Conservative 2016!! The Dole, H.W. Bush, McCain, Romney experiment has failed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

drifting?


16 posted on 05/02/2015 8:28:52 PM PDT by GeronL (Clearly Cruz 2016)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nifster
> Aint no ‘drift’ about it....Ever since Ocare travesty it has been apparent that someone has the goods on him (either that or he is taking drugs)

I can think of a few good reasons:

17 posted on 05/02/2015 8:32:23 PM PDT by jsanders2001
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: foundedonpurpose

He must be one of the judges that Valerie Jarrett said was “ready to go.”


18 posted on 05/02/2015 8:33:39 PM PDT by uncitizen (I'm Ready for Teddy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ilgipper

I don’t get what happened. My heart may have gotten a little softer as I aged but I am still conservative to the bone. How do these people change so much on such important issues.
And anyone who paid the 100 bucks know what is going on with the fight lol.


19 posted on 05/02/2015 8:34:53 PM PDT by dp0622 (Franky Five Angels: "Look, let's get 'em all -- let's get 'em all now, while we got the muscle.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Engraved-on-His-hands

I remember that, too. I don’t know whether W was just trying to pick so-called moderates for the court or whether he was just being used by someone else, say Cheney.

Reagan gave us Kennedy so sometimes it is just an accident. Bush 41 gave us Souter — ugh — but that was probably on purpose. Conservatives need to stop being such suckers.


20 posted on 05/02/2015 8:37:41 PM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson