Thank you Chief Justice John Roberts

[aintitfunny]

For standing up for the country, for our system of checks and balances. Thank you for rational thought.

[cynatnite]

1. Yeah, he really came through. n/t

[LynneSin]

2. I think Roberts recognized there would be a serious revolt on his hands...

if he took away the health insurance of the millions of people who are covered by Obama's healthcare plan.

[liberalhistorian]

12. Nah, I don't think the "fearless champion of the overdog"

gives a shit about that. I think what swayed him was the fact that the majority of major insurance companies were for it and made clear their opposition to it being struck down and THAT, the business interests, was what he really cared about. Had they been against it, he probably would have been as well.

[sabrina 1]

30. Exactly! Roberts was the volunteer, I guess. The others have to keep up the act that they

care about their Freeper supporters.

The Corps always win, especially with this court.

[aintitfunny]

15. I think you are right

I do not think this was his personal political preference. This is a political court. It is sad in a way that we actually appreciate someone fulfilling their job requirements! But hell, I'll take it and be grateful!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. His voting to uphold it makes the victory all the more delicious!

Surprised that Kennedy didn't vote to uphold it too.

[hifiguy]

4. Roberts voted as he did for one reason.

He doesn't want to share the historical stench attached to Roger Taney, who authored the Dred Scott decision. Roberts is a corporate tool, but he is smart enough to have a sense of history and legacy.

[sadbear]

8. That's my take, too.

He's still a ruthug douche, but it's all about history and the legacy of his court. He's smart enough to know this.

[hifiguy]

16. Yup. Just as Warren Burger had to, and did, set aside his politics

in U.S. v. Nixon to preserve the legitimacy of the Court as an institution, Roberts did so here. Chief Justices tend to get the fine-tooth-comb treatment from historians, unlike most other justices save for a few giants like Holmes, Brandeis, Black and Brennan. Roberts does not want to see himself mocked by future generations.

I must give the CJ credit for having a sense of history, if little else.

[DevonRex]

29. Still, part of that means he at least can

Recognize bad when he sees it. Really, really bad anyway. People dying kind of bad. That's something to be grateful for when there were 3 who couldn't.

[Zorra]

13. Yep. He really had no choice here. nt

[sabrina 1]

33. Because he's a corporate tool is WHY he voted for it.

Did anyone really think they would allow the Mandate, something the Heritage Foundation worked so for for so long, to go away?

But they were in a bind. The Conservatives, I mean. Whether to make the Dem President look bad, or to uphold the profit margin for the Corporate handlers.

In the end, money won as it always does. And the others get to say they voted against Obama. Everyone wins, except the people. Most importantly, the Corps win.

[cbdo2007]

5. He basically cemented President Obama's reelection.

[Harmony Blue]

6. Justice prevails

Chief Justice John Roberts. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

[Recursion]

7. And Kennedy's dissent declares the entire law invalid

I didn't expect that.

[mvd]

9. Neither did I

I thought if it was 5-4, it would be Kennedy with us.

[Recursion]

10. The tax redefinition is 6-3

Alito and Roberts both considered it a tax

[mvd]

14. Ok, thanks

[DevonRex]

31. He's an odd duck, that one. Nt

[Bonhomme Richard]

11. Maybe he is feeling a bit guilty about unleashing Citizens United on us. n/t

[Bake]

17. Many reasons for Roberts' siding with the majority

One, he's concerned about the Court's standing in public opinion--the public's respect for the Court, and its legacy.

Two, the insurance companies got him to protect their profits.

Three, maybe--just maybe--he wanted to do the right thing.

Those are just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others.

Bake

[Octafish]

18. Four, he wants to avoid bringing up Universal Health Care before the election.

That's a winning theme for liberals and progressives, the Old Democrats.

[Bake]

19. Excellent point.

Preserve the status quo for the time being. Excellent point, Octafish!

Bake

[Octafish]

21. Thanks, Bake! I can't overstate how low Roberts and Crew are.

The guy's appointment trumped Scalia for the top slot -- and the Reich pretty much owed Tony Supremo everything in 2000.

Should things go their way in November, the pukes'll have the horses they need to protect the filthy property holders for whom they toil.

[treestar]

23. Or maybe he thought that the law led to the conclusion he made

[Ship of Fools]

20. I'm grateful about the ruling.

As far as SCOTUS goes, the Fab Five can burn in hell for making
our country a laughingstock.

Just one woman's opinion.

[treestar]

22. Yes, for following the law rather than what might be personal opinion

Impartiality is what judicial decisions are all about.

[NNN0LHI]

24. I knew he was the wild card in all this

[Sirveri]

25. I trust him about as far as I can throw him.

I have zero confidence that he did this for the benefit of the country or anyone other than himself or his political/corporate masters.

[SDjack]

26. Probably the CEOs of the HC corporations explained to Roberts which way

the wind blows. The ACA is the best they can hope for, so don't give the DEMs another chance to go "single provider." He didn't do it for the people -- he did it for the companies.

[Inuca]

27. About Roberts' possible motivations

a post from Ezra Klein I am not sure what to make of.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/06/28/the-political-genius-of-john-roberts/

[whatchamacallit]

28. Oh boy...

We make it so easy for them.

[hlthe2b]

32. I'd probably qualify your gratitude--it looks like he had a motive in doing so-to continue to weaken

and essentially dismantle the commerce clause. As the staunch corporatist, that he is, this does not surprise me if true.


That said, he still is going to take some heat for crossing his RW overlords, since few outside academic Federalist society circles, would "see" the big picture that he is trying to accomplish.

Still, I'll take today's victory and reserve my contempt for Scalia, Alito, Kennedy. He gets a pass today.

[jwirr]

34. I agree. He did the right thing but having said that he did not abandon his pro-corporation stance

because healt care and health care insurance are part of the way the health industry makes their money. So I can see why he came down on our side for a change.

[rbookstein]

35. Narrowly averted disaster!

It was horrifying close to going the other way. Four conservative scumbuckets wanted to invalidate the entire law.

[Laelth]

36. Hear, hear.

I doubt he knows it, but he may have done us a great good.

-Laelth