David Brooks: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts: Modesty and Audacity
This photo provided by the U.S. Courts Circuit Executive's Office shows Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts, participating in a program at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort that is part of the Science and the Law program by the Judicial Conference of the District of Columbia Circuit in Farmington, Pa. on Friday, June 29, 2012.
Ann Wilkins, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Our take: Justice Roberts' move to side with those affirming the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, took many Republicans by surprise. In this article, David Brooks seeks to explain a different take on Roberts' actions and how his modest opinion holds to conservative values of restricting the size of national government.
Washington is full of arrogant people who grab power whenever they get the chance. But there is at least one modest minimalist in town, and thats John Roberts Jr.
In his remarkable health care opinion Thursday, the chief justice of the United States restrained the power of his own institution. He decided not to use judicial power to overrule the democratic process. He decided not to provoke a potential institutional crisis. Granted, he had to imagine a law slightly different than the one that was passed in order to get the result he wanted, but Robertss decision still represents a moment of, if I can say so, Burkean minimalism and self-control.
Read more about Modesty and Audacity on NYtimes.com.
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"the chief justice of the United States restrained the power of his own institution. He decided not to use judicial power to overrule the democratic process."
Interesting what gets referred to as "democratic process" in More..
I will continue to believe that the Supreme courts rulings are generally correct based on the law outlined in the constitution.
That is their job.
It is more and more common to blast the SC when the rule in a way with which we More..
@JoeBlow
I love how college drop-outs like Beck, Hannity, and Limbaugh seem to have more constitutuionl knowledge than a Harvard-educated, experienced judge who was not only appointed by the President because of his knowledge of the More..