President Bush’s selection of
Hon. John Roberts is an interesting choice. The betting, and there had been betting, was on a minority or female candidate. Instead, President Bush swings for fences with a middle-aged, white male. Let ugliness begin. Competency
Regardless of your political views, Roberts’ intellectual competency cannot be questioned. This man was a very competent lawyer and is a thoughtful judge. As an advocate, his arguments before Supreme Court were always creative and thorough. As a judge, his written opinions reveal sound analytical skills and logical interpretations of facts at hand.
The current court constituency has been together for far too long and is intellectually vacant on many issues. The leading intellectuals, Rehnquist and O’Connor are undisputed “thinkers” on court. Obviously, O’Connor is gone and Rehnquist will undoubtedly take a reduced roll in light of his serious health issues. The poor man looks like hell!
Of remaining justices, none is particularly sharp and certainly not a leader of court. Scalia is a publicity hound and hurls insults at all who disagree with him. Thomas issues opinions that nearly everyone agrees are simply bizarre. Stevens has always taken a back seat and Ginsburg certainly will be in minority. The remaining Justices are often wildly inconsistent and certainly have issued a number of opinions that turn on most inane of facts. The recent contradictory decisions regarding 10 Commandments are perfect examples of a Court gone adrift.
If confirmed, John Roberts will be first step in bringing solid legal reasoning back to bench. By solid, I don’t mean liberal or conservative thinking. I simply mean decisions that are logically consistent. Of all current Justices, Roberts would clearly be best choice for Chief Justice when Rehnquist finally leaves bench. .
Okay, we’ve established Robert’s is a quality judge. What effect will his confirmation have on landmark decisions, particularly Roe v. Wade?
Landmark Decisions
Make no mistake, John Roberts is very conservative. Generally, he will side with conservatives on bench, but not always. His vote will be critical since he is replacing Justice O’Connor, historical swing voter. Depending upon your political leanings, this as either a good or bad thing.
