Spotlight returns to Roberts on abortion

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts disappointed conservatives Thursday by siding with the court’s liberal wing to block a Louisiana abortion law that’s almost identical to the Texas one he voted to uphold in 2016.

Roberts has become the fulcrum of the high court since swing voter Justice Anthony Kennedy retired in July, catapulting him into the spotlight as the deciding justice on hot button social issues.

With Thursday’s decision on the Louisiana law, which requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, Roberts has raised doubts among some conservatives about whether they have a reliable conservative majority after President Trump's successful appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

“It does give me a little pause,” said Travis Weber, vice president for policy at the Family Research Council, who questioned if Roberts’s vote for staying the abortion law was influenced by the politics of the debate.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/429229-spotlight-returns-to-roberts-on-abortion?userid=229233

Well that just breaks my heart.

[empedocles]

1. The Robert's 'legacy' concerns, may be concerning Robert

[Volaris]

4. I think so as well, and as far as that goes, I think he takes that pretty seriously.

I think that as long as we're right, Roberts will act as a 'responsible' jurist...at least in terms of the cases that will affect overall Public Opinion of his court.

On the 'process' type stuff (corporate disputes and the like) that nobody really gives a shit about, I expect him to be a Capitalist first, then a Republican, then a conservative.

I suspect that all of this means that he will keep Kavanaugh on a pretty short leash for the next year or so...no way he would have let him write that dissenting opinion if Roberts didn't know already how this majority opinion was going to go....he knew what the outcome was, so let Kavanaugh be an ass on paper all he wants, as it won't affect the outcome anyway.

[empedocles]

5. I want to be hopeful on the really high profile stuff, Roberts will be ok.

The Taney-Dred Scott ghost impact.

On the other hand, he will fear, the 'con haters will smear him badly, if he goes much beyond that. Of course, they may smear him badly, anyway.

[Volaris]

7. He could be John Galt, and if he didn't vote like 'their' Lunatic, they'd call him a liberal...

I think Taney/Scott is important to him, as is not repeating it in kind or degree.

I think he might believe that he misjudged the impact of the CUnited decision, and while he won't admit it just yet, if he does, that can't be far from his mind, either.

[empedocles]

8. Hope you are right on C U

[diva77]

2. rethugs need to keep this issue hanging by a thread in order to fire up their base

[treestar]

6. True. On some level they don't want an overturn

If they got it, they'd have to hang onto gays/guns even more and that might not be enough to overcome economic issues.

[Stuart G]

3. K and R nt.