Early in his tenure, Chief Justice John Roberts spoke of his desire to lead a Supreme Court that would unite the nation. said Garrett Epps. Nearly a decade later, that dream seems to have melted into air. In all three high-profile cases of the 2013 term - on campaign finance, public-employee unions, and the Affordable Car Acts contraceptive mandate - Roberts court produced bitterly partisan, 5-4 rulings. In each case, the five Republican-appointed justices jumped aboard causes championed by the Republican Party, while the four Democratic-appointed colleagues filed furious dissents laying bare the courts partisan divide. In the courts decision to allow the Christian owners of crafts company Hobby Lobby to be exempt from the ACAs contraceptive mandate, the conservative justices essentially gave private companies the right to secede from federal law. In effect, America can no longer simply be divided into red and blue states but also red and blue companies. Whether the issue is contraception, labor unions, campaign-finance limits, or voting rights. the party identity of the justices seems to be the single most important determinant of their votes. The Supreme Court Roberts once hoped would bridge the partisan gap is now clearly divided into red and blue justices. The WEEK september 12, 2014
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 19:18:37 +0000
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