President Bush’s selection of the 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 the fences with a middle-aged, white male. Let the ugliness begin.

President Bush’s selection of the 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 the fences with a middle-aged, white male. Let the 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 the Supreme Court were always creative and thorough. As a judge, his written opinions reveal sound analytical skills and logical interpretations of the 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 the undisputed “thinkers” on the 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 the remaining justices, none is particularly sharp and certainly not a leader of the 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 the minority. The remaining Justices are often wildly inconsistent and certainly have issued a number of opinions that turn on the most inane of facts. The recent contradictory decisions regarding the 10 Commandments are perfect examples of a Court gone adrift.

If confirmed, John Roberts will be the first step in bringing solid legal reasoning back to the bench. By solid, I don’t mean liberal or conservative thinking. I simply mean decisions that are logically consistent. Of all the current Justices, Roberts would clearly be the best choice for Chief Justice when Rehnquist finally leaves the bench. .

Okay, we’ve established Robert’s is a quality judge. What effect will his confirmation have on the landmark decisions, particularly Roe v. Wade?

Landmark Decisions

Make no mistake, John Roberts is very conservative. Generally, he will side with the conservatives on the bench, but not always. His vote will be critical since he is replacing Justice O’Connor, the historical swing voter. Depending upon your political leanings, this as either a good or bad thing.