The most conservative high court in decades

[Forkboy]

WASHINGTON — When Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and his colleagues on the Supreme Court left for their summer break at the end of June, they marked a milestone: The Roberts court had just completed its fifth term.

In those five years, the court not only moved to the right but also became the most conservative one in living memory, based on an analysis.

And for all the debate about the confirmation of Elena Kagan or the addition of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, there is no reason to think they will make a difference in the court’s ideological balance. Indeed, the data show that only one recent replacement altered its direction, that of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2006, pulling the court to the right.

There is no similar switch on the horizon. That means Roberts, 55, is facing what is likely to be a long tenure at the head of a court entering a period of stability.

If the Roberts court continues on the course suggested by its first five years, it is likely to allow a greater role for religion in public life, to permit more participation by unions and corporations in elections, and to elaborate further on the scope of the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms. Abortion rights are likely to be curtailed, as are affirmative action and protections for people accused of crimes.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/07/25/the_most_conservative_high_court_in_decades/

[SpiralHawk]

1. "The SupremeOs are WAY cool. Smirk." - RepubliCorporate 'Citizens' (R)

"Ha ha. Too bad (smirk) about you little people. Smirk." - RepubliCorporate 'Citizens' (R)

[NJmaverick]

6. Great picture!

:applause:

[MurrayDelph]

10. This one is missing from Thomas's robe

[fugop]

2. This is what killed me back in 2000...

I sure wish more folks had recognized this would happen back in 2000. When people would tell me they didn't like Gore or Bush so they didn't care, when they said they were the same, when they said, "If he's awful, he'll just get voted out in four years," I tried to tell people that if nothing else, they should think about the Supreme Court, because that's a lifetime.

I never understand why candidates - Democratic candidates - didn't sound the alarm a little more vigorously about the court. Now we're stuck with these people. It's so depressing.

[iamjoy]

4. Me Too

Apparently, many Liberals haven't learned this lesson - as evidenced by some of the Obama bashing. Now, criticizing President Obama is fine, he has been disappointing on several issues. However, when people talk about running another Democrat in the 2012 Presidential primary - a sure fire way to lose the White House - I have to wonder if we aren't cutting off our thumb to spite our hand.

OF course, it is a sad state of affairs when it seems the reason to elect Obama is "(if McCain had been elected) it could have been worse."

[T Wolf]

3. The court (and courts) will always be viruntly con because Democrats placate the GOP by putting

moderates (at best) up for the bench. Not an effective way to counter the far-reich whack jobs whom the pukes stack at every level.

[Jennicut]

5. It doesn't matter if you have the most liberals of liberals on the court. Does anyone

think that any Justice would change the minds of Alito, Roberts, Thomas, Scalia and Kennedy? Kennedy is perhaps the only one and really, he has said he never wanted to be a swing vote. He is still a conservative. The changes will happen when one of those five retire or die. And it looks like it will be Ginsburg next for retirement.
Also, Sotomayor has voted with Ginsburg more then any other justice. I never understood this criticism, she seems plenty liberal to me.

[Cosmocat]

7. Yep ... The right right now ...

is to try to keep in the 5-4 minority ...

Next up to be replaced is Ginseberg ...

NO WAY any of the Rs step down voluntarily under BOs watch - meaning most likley the next 6 years ... The election after that one will be huge here ... If a strong D can get in after BO, it makes it a LONG stretch for the Scalia, Thomas and Kennedy without a window to get out, and odds are better a health issue might knock one out ...

The SC is the holy grail for the right - they have ALWAYS viewed it as the backdoor to push their deranged crape outside of popular elections ...

[DevonRex]

8. +1. Sotomayor has voted with Ginburt more than any other justice. Thanks

for pointing that out. Facts matter to most of us here.

[DevonRex]

9. So, Obama is now supposed to be able to magically override a 5-4 conservative majority????

We're getting into Harry Potter territory here. :rofl: